Last of the Dragonlords: A Good Mare Goes To War
by fluttershy20
Summary: After two years of peace, Fluttershy must take up arms once again and help save Equestria from ripping itself apart by a bitter, ruthless and insane enemy. Yet, how can she do that, when her friends and loved ones have suddenly turned against her? Rated T for violence.
1. Chapter 1

Traitors. Everywhere she seemed to look there were traitors. And the news she had received in the past half hour from across Equestria only seemed to strengthen this thought. Hoofington, Trottingham, Baltimare, Fillydelphia, Vanhoover, and several other towns and cities were rioting violently. Las Pegasus and its neighbouring towns were separating themselves from the rest of the country to form their own. As was Appleloosa, Dodge Junction and the other towns that rested in the deserts, forming a new country, a republic, they called themselves. They were traitors, traitors all. And now her beloved sister and niece were among them.

"Princess Celestia." Celestia turned from the window to look at her captain of the royal guard. The captain walked up to the steps leading to the throne, then took off his helmet and nimbly bowed his head. "The squad I sent to Ponyville to search for them have returned. We searched every place we thought they could hide, but somepony told us she saw them head south towards the desert about half an hour ago."

Celestia walked down the steps to tower over the smaller unicorn. She gave him a warm smile. "You did well, captain. You acted fast." The smile quickly faded. "It's just a pity that you weren't fast enough. Are you sure they were heading south?"

"Myself and others asked several other ponies and they all said the same thing, your highness. They're probably heading to join this southern republic and take the fight to us."

Celestia shook her head. "They won't find friends there, or anywhere in Equestria. They are just running blind, for they have nowhere else to go."

"Send me after them with two battalions of the royal guard, your majesty, and they will come back within the week in chains."

"Yes, and half of Equestria destroyed in the process. No thanks," she said scornfully. "They might be traitors, captain, but I want to re-unite my country without needless bloodshed. The Royal Guard will be deployed across Equestria to keep the peace in the loyal towns and cities, while diplomats will be trained and dispatched to deal with these separate states so they could try and bring them back to us."

"But what of you sister and niece, and their accomplices?"

"I will send a smaller force of ponies that could find them, and stop them before they could fulfil whatever plans they have in mind." She turned around and let out a small, sad sigh. "You have my permission to go."

"Thank you, your majesty," he replied, bowing his head once more. He spun around and galloped out the room, closing the door behind him. Once he'd left, Celestia walked over to the window and looked out at her country with sorrowful eyes. _'How could they all do this to me? Haven't I been faithful to them? Have I been cruel?' _The throne room stayed silent for a long time, with Celestia gazing out the window, forgetting that her student and her friends were in the room.

Twilight looked at each of her friends for a moment, and then took a nervous step forward. "Princess?" The Princess turned towards them. "What about us?"

Celestia moved away from the window, and looked at her and her friends emotionlessly for a moment. "That depends on if you are with me or not, Twilight Sparkle. Are you with me?"

Twilight stepped forward once more, keeping her head held high. "You know I am _always_ with you, Princess."

"Yeah." Rainbow Dash moved to hover beside her. "You know you can count on us for anything, right girls?" She looked back at her friends.

"For Equestria!" they shouted in unison, stomping the ground with a hoof and their heads high and proud.

Celestia smiled. "Why did I even doubt you?" She walked up to the throne and sat on it. "Then I will give you and your friends this task. Do you think you can handle it?"

"We'll get them back for you, Celestia," Applejack said. "In stone or in body-bags."

"Preferably in stone, Applejack. But your devotion has been noted." Celestia powered up her horn to glow its bright golden colour. After a moment, the blue case containing the Elements of Harmony appeared in front of the ponies.

"Then, with the Elements of Harmony," Celestia commanded, even as tears ran down her face, "I task you to hunt down the traitors, Princess Luna Nocturnus Solaris, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Spike the dragon, and Fluttershy Firewing, the Dragonlord."

* * *

_Last of the Dragonlords: A Good Mare Goes To War_

* * *

_Seven days earlier…_

The sudden knocking on the door made Fluttershy shoot her head upright. The moment she did so, however, she regretted it. She thought something heavy had snuck its way inside and was tapping at her skull like it was a drum. Not to mention the rest of her head felt like it was on fire – which would be a miracle, considering what she was. She put a hoof on her forehead and groaned. The knocking on the door persisted, making Fluttershy groan as each knock made her head and ears ring. "The door's unlocked," she called as loud as she could. "You can come in… if you like."

The door of her cottage swung open, and the smiling faces of Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow and Pinkie greeted her. "Hi, Fluttershy," they chimed upon seeing her. The four ponies made their way towards her, closing the door behind them gently. Fluttershy wished she could get up and greet them properly, but felt like she couldn't.

"Are you all right, sugarcube?" Applejack asked, her small smile fading to give her a look of concern. She immediately felt stupid for asking it, for everyone could see Fluttershy looked anything _but_ all right.

Fluttershy was lying on her couch with a blanket covering her body, with bits of her mane sticking out like branches on a tree. Large black sacks were under her eyes, and when Twilight put a hoof on her forehead, it felt like she could boil an egg on it. "I just feel a little bit under the weather at the moment, Applejack," Fluttershy replied. She smiled comfortingly. "I should be better by the morning."

"Just a hot temperature," Twilight said, pulling her hoof away from her friend's head. "Something you get every now and then, so it should pass quickly. Although I'll recommend you to stay here and rest."

"Tell us something we don't know, Twilight," Rainbow chided, crossing her forelegs against her chest and giving Twilight a little glare. She then gestured with a hoof towards the door. "Come on, let's leave her to rest. We've got a party to organise." The four friends said their goodbyes and well wishes and turned to leave.

"Wait," Fluttershy called with a raised hoof. The four ponies turned around to look at her. "What party?"

"Oh, you know… the one for Rarity," Pinkie said, a little excited giggle escaping from her mouth just after.

Fluttershy's ears pinned upright. "Oh," she said, a little grin forming across her lips. She suddenly willed herself the strength to get up; not even feeling ill would make her miss this day. With a groan she lifted herself off the couch and groggily walked up to them, ignoring her friends' protests for doing such a thing. "Oh, I would love to help out with this party if that's what you wanted in the first place."

The four ponies looked warily at each other. "Ya sure, Fluttershy? I mean I wouldn't turn ya down if ya weren't ill. But since ya are, would ya be all right?" Applejack asked.

Fluttershy nodded. "I think so. It might be nice to get out for a bit. I've been cooped up here all week without much fresh air, so it might help to be out for a while." Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but was stopped by a firm but gentle hoof from the pegasus being placed on her mouth. "I would love to help, and no buts will keep me down."

After a moment of silence, Twilight reluctantly agreed with a nod. Grinning, Fluttershy put her hoof down, and quickly made herself look presentable by brushing her mane and tail straight with a hoof. "Shall we?" Pinkie said with a gesture of her hoof towards the door, her tone not bothering to hide her excitement.

'_It's Pinkie after all,'_ Fluttershy thought, _'so of course she would be excited about a party.'_

Fluttershy smiled and nodded, then swiftly followed her four friends outside. _'No, not my friends,' _she thought to herself. _'They're my family.' _The day was another typical midsummer's day – warm with a nice breath of wind to allow ponies to walk about easier. The moment she stepped outside her house she wondered why she hadn't done this before. She felt much better than she did inside, for the breath of wind hit her in the right places, making her feel like there was nothing wrong with her. Startled squeaks made her turn her head slowly towards the noise, only to find herself looking at Angel's daughter.

She sighed sadly as she thought about Angel. It had been five months since Angel's daughter was born, and three months since he'd passed on. She was upset that he had gone, but didn't cry at his loss. The signs were coming for ages that he was getting old, and she kept expecting him to go to sleep one night and never wake up, which was the way he went in the end.

"It was going to happen eventually," she had said to her friends as they crowded around her in comfort, after she had laid Angel to rest.

"You all right, Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked, hovering just above her.

Fluttershy looked up at her and nodded assuredly. "I'm okay. I was just thinking about Angel. I do miss him sometimes."

Rainbow gave her a small, sad smile. "Well you should do. I mean you were with him since you first came to Ponyville. But hay, you have his daughter to remember him by."

Fluttershy agreed with as sharp a nod as she could muster, and then looked back at Angel's daughter. The little white bunny, named Rosemary, in her mother's memory, was very different to what Angel was like. She was sweeter, kinder, and didn't boss her around like her father did, mostly because she had brought up the little rabbit herself. But, admittedly, that's what Fluttershy missed most about him. In some ways he was a little brat, but other times he was her backbone, the one that made her turn around and do what was necessary.

The small white doe tilted her head at the pony, her face expressing her concern. "I'll be fine, Rosemary," she said sweetly. "If I feel any worse I'll just come back. See you later." She waved to the little bunny, who waved back, and then walked with her friends over the bridge and towards Ponyville.

Pinkie let out a squeal of joy. "I can't believe this is happening!" she squeaked, bouncing with delight as they walked between the first of Ponyville's buildings. "I never expected it to last, to be honest, but those two go really well together and are a match made in Paradise!"

"Yeah, and from what I've heard, we have you to thank for givin' her the courage to ask," Applejack said, glancing at Fluttershy with a wry grin.

"Oh, I did nothing," Fluttershy said modestly. "All I did was say it's always okay to ask." Another thing she omitted from saying was that she hid in a bush to lend support, giving Rarity the courage to speak her feelings.

That was nearly nine months ago that happened. In fact, so much has happened in the past two years since she had returned from Horsca after learning her family heritage and what she was, that it was hard to keep track of it all.

The five ponies were soon walking through Ponyville's mane street, stopping every now and then to say hello to a pony and friend. About halfway through, Fluttershy's ears twitched at her name being called. "Fluttershy!" the voice called out again from her left. Fluttershy stopped and looked around to see Roseluck behind her flower stand, looking at her with a wide, amiable grin.

"Hello, Roseluck," she greeted the earth pony with a warm smile as she walked up to her. Her eyes drifted to the white roses in front of her stand. "Gosh, those roses look lovely this year, as they always do."

"Thank you, Fluttershy, you are too kind. Would you like one?" She tilted her head a little. "You look like you need one."

"Oh, I would love to, but I don't have any money with me to pay for them. Sorry," she replied, lowering her head and rubbing her foreleg with her other hoof shyly. It was something that she had done for all her life, and she said to herself it would be something she would never be able to grow out of, even if she was a Dragonlord.

"Oh, don't worry about that." Before Fluttershy could protest, Roseluck walked around her stand, and placed a bundle of roses on her back. "Here, these are on the house."

Fluttershy looked shocked at the gesture. "I… I can't take these, Roseluck. I don't have anything to give in return."

"And you will never have to, Fluttershy," Roseluck said, smiling. "You saved my daughter's life, and so many other ponies from that dragon attack two years ago, that anything I give to you would be nothing compared to what you saved for me; my family." She reared up and hugged the pegasus. "So thanks again, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy lifted a hoof up and awkwardly patted the earth pony around the shoulders; she was still getting used to talking to everypony. "There's no need to thank me anymore, Roseluck. Just be happy and loving with everypony and everything. That's all the thanks I could ask for." She looked back at the flowers on her back and smiled. "Thanks for these. I'm sure they would go quickly at the party, though."

"Oh, as in Rarity's party?" she enquired, her eyebrows flickering.

Fluttershy nodded. "You're going to be there?"

Roseluck nodded. "Of course. How can I miss a party put on by Pinkie Pie?"

"Nopony can," Fluttershy replied, grinning. "I'll see you there." She waved at Roseluck one last time, and then trotted after her friends, who were walking slowly so she could catch up with them.

Once she was alongside them, Rainbow fluttered back a bit, and then sneakily tried to grab a rose off her back. Fluttershy saw this in the corner of her eye and spun around just before the other pegasus could touch one. Fluttershy gently and playfully slapped Rainbow's extended hoof. "Not yet. Wait until the party, missy."

"Oh," Rainbow sulked, her ears falling flat as she flew above her friends. "But they look so tasty, and I haven't eaten yet."

Fluttershy looked up at her and gave her a look of pity. Rainbow looked back at her with big, puppy dog eyes and trembling lips. Eventually, Fluttershy caved in. "Okay, just the one," Fluttershy said. Rainbow grinned, and then took one off her back and stuck the whole thing in her mouth.

"Now that's good," Rainbow said, her voice muffled by the rose in her mouth. "Thanks, Fluttershy. You're a good friend."

Fluttershy smiled back. "And you're a good friend as well." Her ears suddenly pricked up when she heard a voice calling to her. She looked around and grinned to see a young filly and a young colt racing up to her. "Hello, Dinky. Hello, Rumble," she greeted them. "What are you two up to?"

"We're just going to Rarity's to get our Nightmare Night costumes for this year," Dinky replied. "Are you going to have that candy like you had last time, are you? Please say you are, please, please, please?" she asked, hopping on the spot. Rumble nodded eagerly as well, grinning sweetly at her.

"Of course I will," Fluttershy replied. "How could I leave out the best candy for the best trick or treaters?" The two young ponies grinned at that. "Now go and get your costumes," she added, indicating with her head towards the Carousel Boutique. "Best not keep Rarity waiting."

"See you later, Fluttershy!" the two little ponies chimed, galloping away from them, leaving the five mares to continue towards the main hall. Years ago, Fluttershy never thought she would be able to enjoy Nightmare Night. However, thanks to a bit self-discovery, and the thought of, "only once can't hurt," she decided to go into town and see what it was like, with her friends close by her side. When it was over, she came back home merrier and regretting that she missed so much.

"Say, Twilight, do you know where it's going to be yet?" Fluttershy asked.

"Not sure yet, Fluttershy, but I've been looking around for suitable places for the venue, and the after party, and I have a few in mind. I just have to ask Rarity what she thinks is best." Twilight sniffed back a few joyous tears. "I just can't believe this is going to happen."

"I don't think any of us can, sugarcube," Applejack said comfortingly. "Like Pinkie said, I didn't think it would last. Hay, I don't think anyone thought it would last. But they surprised us all, and now they surprised us further by sayin' they're getting married."

Fluttershy smiled at the memory of when Rarity told her the news.

* * *

"Fluttershy?" Rarity had started as she laid out on a flat table, awaiting a back massage, while Fluttershy was having hers. Rarity looked in her direction and just made her out in the large coal fire that the pegasus was lying prostrate in, seemingly asleep.

Not long after they had returned, Fluttershy made a 'simple' request for the spa twins in asking for a specially made table that would be able to withstand the affects and temperatures of fire. "Of course, if it's a big problem, then don't worry about it," she had finished quietly.

The spa twins were confused, but found a table that matched Fluttershy's odd request, and filled it with coal rather than wood, making it burn hotter, and longer. They asked why she wanted it, but the only thing Fluttershy said in response was, "You'll see… if you want to." When it was ready, she stepped into the fire and set herself on her stomach along it, breathing a heavy sigh of content. Upon witnessing this, the two ponies fainted.

In time, they had gotten used to it, but to them it still looked strange. It was even stranger to the other clients that used the Spa when they saw her in it. One pony dared to say that Fluttershy should be no longer allowed in the Spa, since the cackles of the flames were spoiling her relaxation time. When the Spa ponies considered, Rarity had stepped forward and told them, "If you ban her from this Spa, then you would lose not just one loyal customer, but two." Afterwards, they had no more problems.

"Fluttershy?" Rarity called again.

This time the pegasus's eyes shot open, and she looked up at Rarity in shock. "Oh my, did I fall asleep? Again?" Rarity nodded, a grin creeping across her lips. "Oh dear, I knew this would be relaxing, but I couldn't have dreamed it would be _this_ relaxing." She shook her head again and looked at Rarity once more. "Sorry, Rarity. What was it you were going to say?"

Rarity looked around the room, looking for eavesdroppers and such. "Can you hear anypony close by? I don't want anypony else to know what I am about to tell you yet."

Fluttershy lifted herself into a sitting position, then flexed her ears about as she tried to see if there was anypony nearby. "I don't think there's anypony, Rarity. As far as I know we're alone," she announced a moment later.

Rarity breathed a sigh of relief. "Well… I don't know how I'm going to say this, but you know Hugo and me have been in a rather happy relationship for a while now?" Fluttershy nodded. "Well, he came up to me yesterday at dinner and… and he…" She trailed off into tiny murmurs that even Fluttershy's hearing couldn't pick up.

Fluttershy knew exactly where this was going; she had read enough romance novels and seen enough films to see what Rarity was trying to say. "Did Hugo propose to you?" Fluttershy enquired, her eyes going wide in excitement for her friend. Rarity nodded meekly in response. "And what did you say?" _'Please tell me you said yes.'_

The only response from Rarity was a few little nods of the head. What followed was the loudest and most joyous squeal the Spa – and most of Ponyville, if it is to be believed – had ever heard.

* * *

Fluttershy blushed pink in embarrassment and giggled as she remembered. "What are you laughing about?" Rainbow enquired.

"Just remembering that squeal I let out when Rarity told me she was getting married."

"Oh, yeah," Rainbow said, nodding her head and smirking in remembrance. "I remember Rarity telling me about it not long afterwards. Told me her ears kept ringing for hours."

"I said I was sorry. I thought I didn't have it in me."

"Well there's a lot of things we thought you didn't have in ya, sugarcube," Applejack said. "Defeating a burning dragon is one we never thought you could do."

Fluttershy smiled at her. "Well that's something _I_ never thought I would do." She looked ahead and saw the town hall, where Rarity and Hugo's engagement party would take place.

At the sight of it, Pinkie disappeared in a cloud of pink and raced inside, too excited to wait any longer. The others followed quickly behind, excited as well by what was going to happen.

Fluttershy was the last to enter, having stopped and looked around incase Rarity suddenly appeared with her fiancée. After a moment, she slowly walked in and gawped at the decorations everywhere.

Half of the ceiling was covered in banners with the likeness of her friend and Hugo on them, staring into each other's eyes, with love hearts dotted around them like stars in the night sky. Along the sides of the ground floor were tables full of food, courtesy of Sweet Apple Acres: apple tarts, apple fritters, apple pies and just plain apples. There were also a few jars of pickled onions and olives, as well as flowers of a wide variety, and especially the drinks: different types of punch, ciders and some red and white wine were scattered across the tables. In all it looked quite a feast, one that wetted Fluttershy's lips and appetite just by looking at it all.

On the main stage at the back of the hall a few party games, thanks of course to Pinkie, were being stored for later. Bits of streamers that Pinkie already had sent off in her excitement were scattered across the floor, and she could just make out the tip of Pinkie's most unique piece of party equipment; her party cannon.

"Gosh," Fluttershy said, her eyes looking from place to place. "You've done a lot already."

"Actually, Pinkie did a lot," Twilight corrected her. "There was nothing here when we left."

Fluttershy was about to ask how was that possible, but quickly shut her mouth when she realised she was about to ask about a pony that was _impossible_ to explain. "Okay, fair point. So what would you like me to do?"

Twilight gave her a look of concern. "Are you sure you're up for this, Fluttershy?"

"I'm as certain as I could ever be certain, Twilight," Fluttershy replied, smiling assuredly at her. "So what would you like me to do?" she asked again.

Twilight nodded, then gestured with her head to Rainbow Dash. "If you want, help Rainbow Dash with putting up some more banners. There're a few more we still need to put up."

Fluttershy saluted, and then took to the air faster than she once used to. Ever since she was able to use her left wing again, Rainbow had been teaching her how to fly, and since then she had greatly improved; Rainbow said once that Fluttershy probably flies better than she ever used to at Flight Camp. She felt a bit dizzy for a moment for doing such a quick take-off, but Rainbow once said it would pass over time once she continued practicing it – it was either that or the fact she was ill. She shook her head gently to clear her dizziness, and then levelled up to the other pegasus and her oldest friend.

Rainbow whistled, impressed by Fluttershy's sudden take off. "Nice to see those lessons I've been giving you are paying off."

Fluttershy stretched out her hooves, allowing Rainbow to throw the other end of the banner towards her. She caught it easily between her hooves. "Well it's not like you're going to teach me, and then I completely forget about it. I might need those flying lessons in the future," she said, hammering her part of the banner into place gently with a hoof. She looked back at Rainbow Dash, and saw sadness in her eyes at what she just said.

Rainbow appeared to be taking it worse that Fluttershy was going to live longer than her or the rest of her friends. Since she came back, Rainbow had been spending more and more time with her, as if she was making up for the lack of time she spent with Fluttershy when they were fillies. Fluttershy loved spending time with her – she loved spending time with all her friends – but recently she began to fear she would never move on from Rainbow and the others when they _do_ pass on. She feared she would be mourning them for the rest of her life, and that was something she didn't want to do. _'They wouldn't want me to live in grief,'_ she had thought repeatedly. _'So I won't.'_ However, every time she said or thought those words, a flicker of doubt would cross her mind, keeping the fear stained in her head.

'_Now is not the time for thinking such things,'_ Fluttershy thought. Her mind was right. This was supposed to be a joyous occasion, so she needed to suck up her worries of the future and focus on the present.

Fluttershy smiled at Rainbow as if that was all that was needed. And in this case, it was. Rainbow perked back up to her self once more. "Say, do you want another flight lesson tomorrow?" she asked, quickly adding, "if you're feeling better by then, of course."

"Oh, I would love to. How can I turn down such an offer?" Fluttershy answered, grinning.

"Great! Tomorrow, if able, I'm going to make you just a touch more awesome, by seeing if you have what it takes to break the sound barrier." She threw another banner towards her friend.

Fluttershy never caught it. She was glued in the air, with her forelegs at her sides, looking at Rainbow Dash as if she had just told her she loved her. "You mean… you're going to teach me the s-so-Sonic Rainboom?"

Rainbow shook her head. "Of course not. I'm going to teach you to do an ordinary sonic boom. Boring by my standards, but it's still a cool trick to pull off. No, the sonic rainboom is my move and no pony else's. If I catch you doing it, I would congratulate you and then fine you for copyright."

Fluttershy tilted her head like an overly confused puppy. "You don't claim copyright to the Sonic Rainboom, Rainbow Dash."

"I do, and I can prove it." She took out from behind her back a long piece of parchment, stating her legal ownership of the move, and showed it to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy took it from her hooves and scanned it quickly. "'This document states the claim of the possession of the Sonic Rainboom to the one and only Rainbow Dash. The most awesome pegasus known to ponykind,'" she uttered under her breath. It didn't take too long for Fluttershy to recognise Rainbow's mouth writing. She raised an eyebrow at it, and then gave it back to Rainbow. "Fair enough, I suppose. But how are you going to teach me a sonic boom?"

"Easy," Rainbow said, although the term 'easy' was lost to Fluttershy, "we'll start slow, and then go faster and faster until you can build up enough speed to smash that sound barrier to little pieces. And then you would do it all over again, and smash those pieces up into littler pieces. And then–"

"I think I get it, thank you, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy interjected, smiling. She flew back down and picked up the other end of the banner, then put it in place next to the other one. They continued until the last of the banners were in place. Fluttershy hammered it into place then backed off, wiping the sweat off her brow with a hoof. With the banners set up and in place, the party was just about ready; all it needed now was the two main guests.

"Oh, yeah!" Rainbow cheered as she flew next to her, her eyes going over the whole setting. "We did good, Fluttershy." The two hoof-bumped each other. "Bump–!"

"–Cha!" Fluttershy finished, grinning and pulling her hoof away.

She set herself back down to the ground and tucked her wings back to their sides. She was glad she was back on the ground, for her wings, especially her left wing, were beginning to ache from the heavy work. "Wow," Twilight said, walking up next to the pegasi. "Great work, you two. Now, Fluttershy, do you think you could look out for Rarity and Hugo for us while we finish off?"

Fluttershy nodded slowly but eagerly. "Of course." She took to the air once more and went through the high window to the balcony outside. She set herself down and rested her head and hooves on the railing, sighing in content as she watched the rest of Ponyville go about its business.

She glanced to the right and saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders galloping past the town hall, giggling about something as another one of their schemes was about to be carried out. The three girls had certainly grown in the last two years: Scootaloo was taller than the three by a hoof, and was beginning to fly at last; Applebloom began to show some long, thick legs like her brother's, and Sweetie Belle was the smallest, but she had begun to learn the simplest of magic spells. Yet despite their ages, they still lacked their cutie marks. _'One day,' _Fluttershy thought with a giggle.

Fluttershy watched them go with a small smile, until she reached a spot that made her mind flash back to two years. The spot looked insignificant; it was just a patch of grass between the town hall and some buildings. But to Fluttershy and her friends, it was where the pegasus had died; killed by the fire of a large red dragon with burning eyes, only to rise up again and send the dragon packing. She shuddered at the memory that had burnt into her head, the agony she felt as her coat, skin, and mane was ripped off her and her whole body burned like a plank of wood.

As she looked at the spot where her old life ended and her new one began, she wondered how many ponies that lived in this town who were there that day, feared that a great evil was coming to claim them, and lay waste to their town and country. She wondered how many ponies predicted the apocalypse Heimdallr would create should he had escaped. She wondered how few ponies believed, or would ever believe, she was the only one that could stop him.

But she was, and she did. She wasn't the pony that would whimper and cry over every little thing anymore, nor was she the pony that could be pushed around so easily. She might have a heart filled with kindness and love, but she had the blood and soul of a Dragonlord, a warrior without peer. She giggled to herself at the thought. _'Me? A warrior? I'm just a pony that looks after animals and helps out my friends.' _

She was a warrior, though. She had fought in battles – albeit reluctantly, if that made any difference – and had a little scar that ran from below her right eye to the corner of her nose, and the long pink scar that ran down her back where Heimdallr's sword had slashed into her to prove that claim. She understood, and accepted, what she was now, but she didn't have to like it. Moreover, she knew she couldn't hide who she truly was, but she could keep it to one side and ignore it for a while. So that's what she did; put her warrior blood aside and be who she wanted to be until she had need of being a Dragonlord again.

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE JOKING, MY DEAR?" an easily recognisable voice echoed across Ponyville, making Fluttershy giggle. Her ears pricked up as the voices got closer.

"I'm not joking, sweetheart. I just think that brown and purple could go really well together," another voice, a stallion's, said persistently.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Rarity said frantically. "That sounds like a _dreadful_ mix! Brown should only be used for accents, and purple can only go well with pink. If you want to know, ask Twilight when we see her."

"Of course I will. In fact, I was going to ask her to be the model for this little experiment of mine." Fluttershy suddenly made out the two unicorns coming towards the town hall. Rarity was on the left, while a shorter, dark grey stallion with a light grey mane and tail with a cutie mark of a tie was on the right.

Fluttershy smiled sweetly as the two of them got closer. She couldn't believe the first time she had heard of Hugo was in Horsca as the two of them climbed the steps of a great fortress under siege to find the fifth key that would open the doors of Heimdallr's prison and allow her to face him in battle.

"How can you do such a thing to Twilight?" Rarity complained. "I'm certain she will not like it."

"Well how about we have a bet? If Twilight does like it, then I win. And if she doesn't like it, then you win. How does that sound?"

Rarity contemplated it. "Hmm, sounds tempting, but what are the stakes?" Hugo leaned over and whispered something that Fluttershy couldn't make out, but from the look she could see on Rarity's face, she was thankful her hearing wasn't _that_ good. "Oh…" Rarity giggled. "Okay, darling, you're on. But be ready to lose."

Hugo gave his fiancée a little nuzzle on the neck. "I don't mind either way. Right, come on, there's something I want to show you in the town hall."

Taking that as her cue to warn the others, Fluttershy shot back through the door leading to the balcony, and flew down the stairs as fast as she could. She stopped on the landing and saw that her friends were finishing off with the last of the party preparations. "Twilight!" she called. Twilight didn't hear her. She was too engrossed in the checklist hovering in front of her to notice, ticking off everything that had been done, and being sure they weren't missing anything.

"Twilight!" she tried again. Again, to no avail. Despite her newly found courage, Fluttershy still had problems raising her voice to be heard from time to time, and everypony would act like she hadn't said a word. Nevertheless, she kept on trying. "Twilight!" she called out.

This time, Twilight brought her nose out of the checklist, and looked up at the pegasus. "Sorry, Fluttershy, didn't hear you there. What is it?"

"Rarity and Hugo are just coming down the road from Rarity's house. They'll be here in a minute."

"Eek!" Twilight squeaked, throwing her list under a table and out of sight. "Come on, everypony, places! Rarity and Hugo are coming!" She began to jog on the spot in a building panic. "Oh, I do hope they like this party!"

"I think she will, Twi," Applejack said comfortingly. She tugged Twilight's tail, breaking the unicorn out of her panic. "Come on, under 'ere!"

Rainbow shot up to one of the rafters and made herself comfortable. Fluttershy quickly flew up to join her. Pinkie dived onto the stage and pushed her party cannon behind the curtains, intending to fire it once the couple came in. While Applejack and Twilight hid under one of the tables, with their tales peeking out on the other side. Once everypony was in place, Twilight used her magic and killed the lights, shrouding the room in darkness.

Five pairs of eyes stared at the door; waiting anxiously for the door to open and Ponyville's latest talked about couple to come in. But nothing happened. Seconds turned into minutes, and they still didn't open the door. "O–kay," Twilight said, crawling out of her hiding place. She flicked back on the lights. "I thought you said they were coming this way, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy fluttered out of her hiding place, a perplexed expression on her face. "I… I don't understand. I saw them coming this way and heard Hugo say to Rarity to come to the town hall with him, so what happened?"

"I'll go and look outside," Rainbow said, darting off towards the higher windows to look outside. A minute passed, with everypony's eyes on Rainbow Dash. "I can't see them!" She called back. "They might have turned back at the last minute."

At that, the sound of ponies moving came from behind them, and the lights suddenly turned off by themselves. The five ponies screamed out in shock. "Did ya just do that, Twi?" Applejack asked.

"Of course I didn't. Did you see my horn glowing?" Twilight replied. They went silent once more as creepily placed hoofsteps came closer. "Who's gonna check that out?"

"I vote Fluttershy," Rainbow said. A few murmurs from the others agreed to this.

Fluttershy squeaked in response. "Why me?"

"Because you are the fearless warrior of the group," Pinkie replied.

"Um, the fearless warrior's not in today. Said something about having a day off… either that, or she's ill."

Fluttershy felt something press against her backside to nudge her forward. "Just go and check it out," Rainbow whispered.

Fluttershy swallowed the lump in her throat. "Okay," she whispered, and stepped forward.

She didn't make it far, however, when the lights suddenly turned back on and the smug faces of Rarity and Hugo were looking down on them from the stage. "Surprise!" the two ponies chimed, trying not to laugh.

The tense breathing from four of the five ponies ceased. They gave the two unicorns sharp, but friendly glares. "Rarity!" Twilight yelled. "Don't you ever do that to us again! You nearly gave us all a heart attack!"

Rainbow, however, was laughing hysterically. "That was brilliant, Rarity! I didn't know you were capable of such a thing!"

"Well, that's what happens when you hang around with the best prankster in Ponyville a bit too much," Rarity said as she walked off the stage. "Oh, and I'm sorry but we just couldn't help ourselves," Rarity added, trying to sound apologetic and failing. "When I _forced_ Hugo to tell me about this surprise party you planned for us we just had to turn it around. And by the way, it was all his idea." She pointed accusingly at Hugo, who held his hooves up and gave them a look of innocence.

It didn't matter to them who did it, they were just glad everypony was here. As one, the five ponies jumped up and hugged Rarity. Hugo's ears flattened at being left out, but he was suddenly pulled in to the group hug by Pinkie.

"I am so happy for ya, sugarcube," Applejack commented, once the ponies pulled away and dispersed to enjoy the party that had now officially begun according to Pinkie. "I can't believe this is really happening."

"Neither can I sometimes," Rarity admitted. "Every day I think I'm about to wake up and find myself in my bed alone. It takes a while but then I have Hugo beside me to help me out."

Fluttershy smiled, and was about to speak when two grey hooves covered her eyes. "Guess who," Hugo whispered playfully.

"Um, Twilight?" Fluttershy guessed teasingly, grinning.

"I don't know whether to be feel flattered or insulted." The hooves were taken away, giving Fluttershy the ability to see again. She turned around and jumped Hugo in a hug. "How're you doing, Fluttershy? It's been a while," Hugo asked, pulling away.

"Not too bad, thanks," Fluttershy replied. "Not feeling too good at the moment, though, but I'm sure it will pass."

Hugo's smile faded, giving him a look of concern, and he put a hoof to Fluttershy's forehead. "My word, you're burning up." He pulled his hoof away, and gave her a wary stare. "You should be in bed resting, missy."

Fluttershy pouted. "How can I miss the engagement party of one of my best friends?"

"_One_ of your best friends? Don't I count?" he teased, giving her a wry grin.

Fluttershy gave him a playful tap on the shoulder. "Of course you count as a friend, Hugo. But Rarity is one of my best friends."

"Huuugo?" Rarity suddenly called in a singsong way before Hugo could reply.

Hugo grimaced at the sound of her tone. "Sorry, Fluttershy, looks like the future misses is calling. Speak to you later." With that, he trotted over to his fiancée, who was next to Pinkie, who was welcoming ponies who had been invited by the party pony – which was everypony in Ponyville.

Fluttershy watched the events unfold with a small smile, then sat down and rubbed her forehead upon feeling a headache coming on. "So much is changing," she muttered to herself.

"Yep," Applejack agreed. Fluttershy jumped when Applejack spoke; she had forgotten the earth pony was right next to her. "First you become a warrior monk, then suddenly everything happens at once. My brother gets married, Twilight becomes a junior mage, Rainbow Dash is told she could be starting in the Wonderbolts soon, I'm put in charge of Sweet Apple Acres, Pinkie could be openin' up her own shop soon and now Rarity's getting married. So much is changin' indeed. But these changes are definitely for the better."

"Oh, I agree," Fluttershy said, nodding. "I am just so happy for all my friends that everything is going right for them." A smile crept across her lips. "How long do you think it'll be until a foal comes along?"

"Uh, I-I don't want to think about that," Applejack replied nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "Thinkin' about that sort of thing tends to give me really bad images."

"I can't stop thinking about it, though. Sure most of it isn't pretty, but the smile on Rarity's face when she has a foal wrapped in her forelegs is one I would love to see."

"We all want to see that, sugarcube," Applejack said. "But don't get too excited for it. It may not last that long."

Fluttershy glanced at Applejack for a moment, her smile fading slightly. "Even if it doesn't last long, let's try and enjoy the moment together while it lasts."

Applejack gave a sharp nod in agreement. "That sounds like a good plan, Fluttershy." The two ponies' ears pricked up when they heard Rainbow calling in their direction.

"Hey, AJ!" Rainbow Dash called, waving her over. "Want to try bobbing more apples than me?"

"You're on, RD!" Applejack called back, smirking. She turned back to Fluttershy. "Sorry, sugarcube, I gotta run. Duty calls for me to kick Rainbow's flank."

Fluttershy giggled. "Metaphorically speaking, I hope."

Applejack looked confused at the word. "Uh… yeah, what ya just said. See you in a bit." With that, Applejack turned away and trotted over to join Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy stayed where she was, watching everypony be happy as the party began in earnest.

* * *

An hour later, the party was in full swing. The centre of the hall had become a dance floor, which nearly everypony was dancing on. The tables had all been cleared out of food, save a few bits here and there, and the floor was a mess with confetti and spilt food. While everypony moved about and mingled, one pony sat in the far corner of the hall, content with just watching everypony be happy.

Fluttershy felt like she didn't need to enjoy herself by dancing and chatting to the ponies in the room, for she felt happy where she was. Sure some ponies came and talked to her, and she talked back, but she never moved to mingle with other ponies, nor did she want to. She was content to just sit and watch her friends enjoy themselves. She felt happy because her friends were happy.

Ever since she and her friends had returned from Horsca, she had relished every chance she could have with her friends. She helped them out with their own problems when she could, and helped them forge new relationships, which unfortunately never lasted, save Rarity's. She saw it as not just as trying to be a good friend, but also as her duty as a Dragonlord – a peacekeeper and protector of life – for she knew that this wouldn't last, in more ways than one.

At that moment, her mind suddenly drifted back to nearly two years ago, just after she had defeated Heimdallr, and her last conversation with the dragon Vidarr.

"_What will you do now?" Vidarr asked suddenly._

_Fluttershy thought about it for a moment. "In my room there're two bracelets and a pair of small blades that fit over my wings. When I get home I'm going to find a sack, put them in it and store it away so nopony could find them, and I never have to use them again."_

_Vidarr frowned at her, then looked to the stars. "I wish I can share your optimism, Fluttershy Firewing. But I can't. There will be a point where you will have to take up arms once again to defend your friends and their loved ones. I don't know when, and I don't exactly know why, but you _will_ take up arms once more."_

_Fluttershy looked up at the dragon with a look of confusion and fear. "What do you mean?"_

"_I'm not entirely sure yet, Fluttershy Firewing. But I fear something dark and terrible is coming. A hammer fall so large and powerful it will split Equestria into chaos and violence it hasn't seen in thousands of years. When that time comes your friends will need you, more than ever. Always be vigilant, Dragonlord. Always be ready."_

_Fluttershy felt a great fear suddenly pass through her. Once was bad, but a second time…? But then she remembered her vow to Vidarr the first, the vow to defend her friends, and realised at some point they would be in trouble, and she would have to stand up for them. She looked back into his eyes, and grinned. "Then, if it's to defend my friends." Her eyes narrowed into determination. "Bring it on." _

They had felt like strong words then, as Vidarr had said, but now she felt utterly stupid for saying them. She didn't want whatever Vidarr predicted to happen at all. She just wanted to enjoy her life with her friends while she could, for thanks to her dragon blood, she would live beyond the mortal age of all but a few ponies.

As well as that, every now and then she would find herself worrying about what Vidarr predicted, because from the sound of it, it sounded bad – _really_ bad. She didn't know if, when the time came, she could protect her friends, and help save Equestria as well.

She never wanted a life of war, adventure and death. She just wanted a life of peace and tranquillity. To be with her animal friends and her pony friends. To laugh, cheer, sing and cry with them when necessary. Never do the things she had to do two years ago. But she knew she had to, because she was the only one who could. And if Vidarr was correct, she would have to again.

She suddenly started to feel dizzy and hot again, and the room began to spin like a twister. _'Since when were there two Twilights?' _she thought as the unicorn approached her.

"Hi, Twilights," she said, smiling as she swayed about. "I didn't know you mastered a duplication spell. When did you do that?"

Twilight's smile faded instantly. She put a hoof on Fluttershy's forehead and grimaced when she saw how hot she was now. "I knew this was a bad idea," the unicorn muttered to herself. She picked up the sickly pegasus with her magic and levitated her to the exit. "Come on, I'm taking you home. You're in no state to be here anymore."

"I'll be fine, once I get some air," she said stubbornly.

"No, not just air for you. You're going home, Fluttershy," Twilight persisted.

"Don't worry, Twilight. I'll take her home," Hugo offered, appearing in front of them. "I wouldn't mind the walk, and it is a bit stuffy in here now."

Twilight studied him for a moment, and then gently set Fluttershy down to the ground. "All right," Twilight agreed. She pointed a hoof at him. "But no detours. Get her home and make sure she'll be all right."

Hugo bowed his head. "You have my word, Twilight." He gestured with his head to Fluttershy to follow him. "Come on, you poor thing. Let's get you some rest."

Fluttershy didn't want to; she didn't want to disappoint Rarity and leave early. However, she quickly realised if Rarity was here now she would be saying the same thing. With reluctance, she willed herself forward and headed towards the exit. "Tell Rarity I'm sorry I didn't stay long, and I hope you and the others enjoy the meteor shower tonight."

Twilight tilted her head slightly, looking at her in surprise. "You know about that?"

Fluttershy nodded weakly. "I heard you talking about it to Rainbow and Applejack and Pinkie," she explained.

"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting you have dragon hearing." She gave Fluttershy a quick hug. "We'll speak more in the morning. I hope you feel better soon."

"Thanks, Twilight. Speak to you all later!" She turned around and, with Hugo, left the hall. Outside, the sun was finishing its day and was descending over the horizon, while the moon began to appear on the opposite side. The air had turned cooler, almost moist, with a fresh breath of wind.

It did no good for Fluttershy, though. She was in no fit state at all and certainly didn't feel it. Almost as soon as they rounded a corner and lost sight of the hall, Fluttershy lost her balance and nearly collapsed. Hugo quickly saw this and caught her with his side. "Blimey, Fluttershy, it almost looks like you've had a bit too much to drink."

"I don't drink, Hugo," Fluttershy said weakly. "At least, not anymore." Her mind suddenly drifted back to the last time she _tried_ to drink. It was last cider season, and after much encouragement from her friends, Fluttershy agreed to a drinking contest with Rainbow Dash. She recalled drinking about twenty pints of apple cider, and was still able to walk herself home that day as though she only had juice, while taking an unconscious Rainbow to her home to sleep off the cider's affects. She learnt that day Dragonlords are immune to the affects of alcohol, which was a good thing and a bad thing when she thought about it.

"You don't have to worry about getting me home. Just go back to your fiancée before she misses you," she said once she got out of reminiscing.

"You can forget about that, Fluttershy. I'm gonna see you home. Besides, Rarity would kill me if I leave you halfway there in your state." Fluttershy wanted to protest, but felt like she didn't have the strength to. Therefore, with reluctance, and using Hugo's body as a walking stick, she staggered home.

They were leaving Ponyville proper and heading up the road towards her cottage when Hugo spoke again. "Fluttershy, I'm glad that we're together at the moment, because I wanted to take this chance to say thank you for bringing Rarity into my life."

Fluttershy lifted her head slowly to look at the stallion, knowing if she went any faster the headache she was feeling would get worse. "I didn't do anything, Hugo. I just gave her some words of encouragement. That's all."

Hugo looked at her doubtfully. "No, Fluttershy. You're wrong. You _did_ do something. You made Rarity and me very happy by helping us both out." He gave her a quick, friendly nuzzle on the cheek. "So thank you, for bringing us together."

Fluttershy blushed and looked away. "It was a pleasure." She looked up and could make out her home in the distance. "Hugo?" she said before she could stop herself.

"Hmm?"

She didn't know if she should say what was on her mind, but now that she started she figured she might as well continue. "If I may ask… why are you marrying Rarity? Forgive me if I sound rude, but when Rarity told me you had proposed to her – oh, don't get me wrong, I was really happy for the both of you – it just seemed too–"

"Sudden?" Hugo cut her off. Fluttershy lowered her gaze and nodded. Hugo chuckled, surprising Fluttershy. "Can I be brutally honest with you, Fluttershy?" Fluttershy nodded. "I don't think Rarity and me have a long future together. She is my first marefriend and I'm her first coltfriend. I know for a fact that first relationships are never meant to last. I would be surprised if I do stay with her for the rest of my life, but I highly doubt it."

Fluttershy looked at him in shock. "Then, _why_ are you marrying her?"

Hugo smiled. "Because I love her. Simple as that. I was told once to enjoy all moments of life when I can, because I know it will not last forever. I want to enjoy all the time I have with Rarity while I can, and if that means marrying her, then so be it."

Fluttershy could see some of the logic that she stood by in what Hugo just said. The two ponies stopped just by the bridge leading to Fluttershy's cottage. "Okay," Fluttershy said, nodding. She suddenly pressed her hoof against his chest, glaring at him threateningly. "But if you hurt her in any way at all, then so help me I will hunt you down into the farthest reaches of this planet if I have to, and make you wish you never came to Ponyville."

She didn't know if she would ever carry out that threat, but seeing the fleeting terror in Hugo's eyes made it seem plausible. Hugo chuckled, glancing around nervously. "I promise I won't do such a thing, Fluttershy. So there will be no need to call your dragon friend and get out your weapons to hunt me down."

Fluttershy cocked her head to the side. "You know about… that?"

Hugo nodded. "Rarity thought it might be best to tell me about it. Said it would be better for her and you if I stopped staring at your back every time you appeared."

Fluttershy looked at her back with sad eyes. The long pink scar that Heimdallr had left at his demise might have turned into a fleshly pink, but it was still there. Twilight had tried looking for a spell to cover it, but after a long search they found nothing between them. It wasn't easy for the first few months after her adventure; many ponies could not stop staring at her back. As she walked by, many ponies whispered quietly to each other about how she got it. However, many ponies got used to it with the passing of time, and now nopony asks about it in fear of making Fluttershy uncomfortable.

It didn't make things easier knowing she had it, though. "But you know, what you did two years ago – saving everyone and risking your own life to defend us all – I am so glad to count you as a friend," Hugo finished.

Fluttershy smiled warmly at him, then reared up and hugged him. "And I'm glad to count you as a friend, too." She pulled away, and then began the long walk over the bridge and to her door – provided she didn't fall off the bridge first. "Are you going to watch the meteor shower with Rarity tonight?" she asked, turning back to face him.

The unicorn shook his head. "Afraid not. Busy day tomorrow, and I need my beauty sleep. Will you be all right getting in?"

"I'll be fine. Now get back to your fiancée, mister," she said, pointing back into Ponyville, even as she wobbled on the bridge.

Hugo looked unconvinced, then nodded as he realised arguing with her wasn't going to work. He turned around to leave. "Then I'll see you tomorrow. Hope you feel better in the morning." With that, he trotted back into town.

Fluttershy watched him go with a small smile and a little wave. Once he was out of sight, she turned around and opened the door, then groggily walked in, closing the door behind her. As soon as she got in, she felt like she was about to pass out as the sickness she was feeling became worse. She felt like her brain was pounding against her skull, trying to bash its way out. It was starting to become unbearable. She put a hoof to her head in the futile hope it would ease the pain she was in. "Rosemary?" she called, hoping the rabbit was close by.

Rosemary hopped out of the little hutch in her living room and looked at her in shock. "Could you get me some headache and sleeping tablets please?" Rosemary nodded, and then dashed off to get some. Fluttershy staggered to her couch, then slowly climbed up and set herself down on her stomach, groaning as the headache made its presence even worse.

After a while, Rosemary returned with some tablets in one paw and an ice bag in the other. "Thank you, sweetheart," she whispered as she took them from her. "Now, could you get me some cold water to drink please?" The rabbit nodded once more and shot off to get some.

Fluttershy slowly placed the ice bag on her head. She gasped as the icy feeling coursed across her head and her body, but it felt better than a spitting headache and a sickly feeling. She hoped and prayed Twilight was right and it would be gone in the morning; she didn't want to miss her flight lesson with Rainbow after all. She let her head fall back onto the soft couch, and visibly slumped as she tried to relax. _'It is a shame,'_ she thought. _'I would have liked to have seen this meteor shower.' _She had heard from Twilight the one coming over Equestria tonight would not be seen for another thousand years. _'Maybe I'll see it next time,'_ she mused. _'If I live that long.' _

Before she could think further on the matter, Rosemary returned with a glass full of water. Fluttershy accepted it with both hooves, smiling gratefully at her. She first placed the headache tablet in her mouth, and then swallowed a mouth full of water from the glass. She was about to take the sleeping tablet when Rosemary stopped her, shaking her head and squeaking at her to wait for a moment. Reluctantly, Fluttershy agreed. She set the glass and tablets down on the little table and slumped back into the couch, sighing heavily as she felt the headache tablets starting to have some affect. As she waited, her nocturnal animal friends came to her and offered their assistance to make her better. Fluttershy smiled at them all and said, "It's okay, little friends. I'll be fine later."

Half an hour later, she felt it was time to take a sleeping tablet. She raised herself up, picked up the tablets and the glass, picked one tablet out of its packet and put it in her mouth, then took her glass of water and drunk the entire glass in one gulp, swallowing the tablet as well. She slumped even further into her couch and, with a soft fluffy pillow against her head, closed her eyes, hoping the tablet would work and she would be out for a while.

A few minutes later, her mind blanked out the world and she was away in her dreams.

* * *

The sun didn't seem to care that Fluttershy's eyes were closed, for its rays seemed to shine bright through the windows and into and through her eyelids. She groaned a little and absently rolled right, forgetting for a second that she should have rolled left. By the time her mind told her of her mistake it was too late. With a startled squeak she fell off her couch and landed on her back, her eyes now wide open and feeling wide awake, and a little silly.

As Fluttershy fought her way out of the entanglement of a blanket, pillow and a really cold ice bag, her mind tried to tell her something was missing. Once she broke free of the blanket's grasp, she finally realised something had happened. She was moving faster than she did yesterday, her mind was clearer and didn't feel as heavy. She didn't feel as tired, and when she put a hoof to her head, she felt she was at a proper temperature than she did yesterday. Fluttershy's lips grew into a grin when she realised it. Something wasn't wrong, something was _right_.

'_I'm better again!' _she squeaked in thought, sighing happily. Rosemary came out of her hutch and glared at the mare for waking her up with the sudden commotion. Her glare subsided when she saw her carer was looking better again. Fluttershy ran up to her and hugged her tight. "Oh, thank you for looking after me when I was ill, Rosemary," she said. "How about I cook you some carrot soup as a treat?"

The rabbit nodded eagerly, thumping one of her hind legs on the ground rapidly. Fluttershy nuzzled her quickly, and then pranced into the kitchen to make the soup. As she worked, she looked into her back garden to see her animal friends playing with each other, or standing about and grazing. Fluttershy smiled as she danced about the kitchen, her mood uplifted drastically by the fact that she was better. _'The last few days have been awful,'_ she thought. _'At least the animals were able to fend for themselves while I was out.' _She thought it was strange that she was better all of a sudden, but she didn't care – she was glad that she was up and about once more.

After a while, the soup was ready. As she examined it and tasted it, she could see she made an excessive amount for one little rabbit, so decided to help herself to a bowl. She poured the soups in the bowls, and then went into the living room and gave one bowl to Rosemary. "I hope you enjoy. Oh, and be careful, it's quite hot." With Rosemary taken care of, she went to her couch, set herself down, and began taking little licks of the soup with her tongue. As she enjoyed her soup, she began to think of what she was going to do today.

She couldn't help but be excited for her flight lesson with Rainbow Dash, which was the first thing they did every morning when they scheduled these lessons, mostly because fewer ponies were in the sky at that time. Afterwards, she would go into town and see all her friends, have an hour or so with each, then go home and tend to her animal friends. _'Today is going to be a great day,' _she thought excitedly.

Once the last bit of soup was gone from her bowl, she hopped off the couch and took it back into her kitchen to clean up and dry. She hummed a little tune as she washed up, which a few birds heard and started to join in, bringing the sweet little cottage on the outskirts of Ponyville alive with the sound of birdsongs. She soon finished with the washing up and once the last of the bowls had been put away, she quickly began to tend to her animals.

An hour later, she finished off by feeding her chickens. She took hold of the bucket full of chicken feed and flung the contents inside around the pen; she wanted to get away and get to her flight lesson with Rainbow Dash that she just couldn't take every seed out like she usually did. "There you go, enjoy, bye!" she said quickly. She raced back inside, picked up her saddlebags, gave a quick kiss on the forehead and explanation to Rosemary, and flew out the door and cantered towards the park.

The day was another gorgeous one. A few clouds were scattered here and there, but they were there to give ponies appropriate shade from the otherwise scorching day. Yet the air was sweet with the aroma of summer, making Fluttershy breathe in deeply then let it out again. _'That feels even better,' _she thought cheerfully. As she walked, she noticed an interesting lack of ponies walking around, which was strange. Most of the ponies that lived closest to her loved a stroll on a Sunday morning, yet there wasn't even one of them in sight. She shrugged it off as just one of those quiet days, and cantered on.

Fluttershy's mood brightened further when she entered the park. Usually it was busy on a Sunday with ponies walking their pets, or having a picnic with loved ones. However, this time it was empty, with not a soul in sight. Fluttershy couldn't believe her luck. She hated coming through the park on days like this since it was summer, making it a popular place to hang about, and making Fluttershy fidgety and uncomfortable whenever she had to walk through here. _'This day is going to be one of the best days ever,' _she thought with an excitable giggle. She slowed herself down into a trot, her eyes moving from tree branch to tree branch as she watched birds flutter around their nests to feed their little ones.

She looked ahead again, and stopped when she saw a bright green unicorn with a cutie mark of a lyre about to run into her. The unicorn stopped when she noticed Fluttershy was standing in front of her. "Heya, Fluttershy," the unicorn said, trying to force a smile; at least, that's what it looked like to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy smiled amiably. "Good morning, Lyra," she greeted the unicorn. She quickly glanced over the unicorn's shoulder to see her saddlebags crammed with stuff belonging to her. "Um… forgive me if I seem intrusive, but, um, are you going somewhere?"

Lyra nodded her head solemnly. "I'm leaving Ponyville, Fluttershy. And I won't be coming back."

For a second Fluttershy thought she was hearing things, but the look on Lyra's face told her she had heard correctly. She could feel her smile dissipate instantly. "You're… leaving?" she repeated. Lyra nodded, trying hard to hold back tears. "B-but why?"

"Because there's nothing here for me anymore," the unicorn said sullenly. "I'm going to take my chances in Canterlot, or even head north to the Crystal Empire. I hear they would like some talented musicians."

"But what about Bon Bon?" Fluttershy queried, almost at a loss. "Surely she must be devastated about this."

Lyra's ears flattened. "She doesn't care less what I do. In fact, I think she was glad to see the back of me."

Fluttershy felt her heart drop. _'Those two were the best of friends!' _she thought. _'How can they suddenly break apart like this?'_

She was about to ask why but Lyra continued. "This morning, after I had woken up, Bon Bon seemed to be in a really foul mood. I asked why and…" Lyra paused to wince as she remembered. "Let's just say one word led to another and some harsh truths came out, and now here I am," she said, gesturing with a foreleg at herself.

Fluttershy felt gutted for Lyra. Those two had been friends since she first came to Ponyville, nigh inseparable they were. Now it was over, just like that. Fluttershy's ears flattened and she lowered her head. "I'm so sorry, Lyra," she said quietly.

Lyra gave her a comforting smile and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Hey, don't be sad for me, Fluttershy. I've got my health, my money, and my lyre with me. As long as I have those things then I should be all right."

Fluttershy looked up and smiled bravely. "I'm really going to miss you, Lyra. The park is going to be a different place without you." She reared up and quickly hugged the unicorn. "I wish you all the luck in the world. I really do."

Lyra pulled away, smiled at her, then walked past her and into Ponyville without a further word. Fluttershy watched her go, wanting to ask her to stay and try and make things right between them. But she quickly saw any argument to stay would be futile. Lyra had made up her mind, and she never changed her plans once she made up her mind.

"**Måtte Vidarr sine vinger beskytte deg fra denne verden av ondskap** (May Vidarr's wings shield you from the evils of this world)," Fluttershy whispered a prayer in Dragonian, but if Lyra heard it, she didn't acknowledge it. Fluttershy watched her head out of sight, and then with a sad sigh escaping her lips she walked on, her head low, her ears flat and her good mood soured by this news.

Her cheerful smile returned when she saw she was by the spot her and Rainbow meet for their flight lessons; a large field surrounded by hedgerow. Upon seeing it, the break-up between Lyra and Bon Bon was forgotten. She trotted onto the field, now excited once more, then sat down in the middle and looked to the sky, hoping her pegasus friend would soon appear. _'She shouldn't be long,'_ she told herself. _'Any minute or so I would imagine.'_

About half an hour later, and Fluttershy was still there, tapping her hoof to a quick rhythm in increasing impatience. _'Where is she? Has she forgotten?'_ she thought. Her heart leapt for joy when she saw a pegasus coming her way, but it slowed down when she saw it was one of the weather ponies coming to take a stray cloud away. "Rainbow never forgets these things, and she is never usually late," she said to herself. "Unless…" A fear suddenly came across her. "Unless something happened to her!" She spread her wings and thrust herself into the air into the direction of Rainbow Dash's house.

A few minutes later, after flying at quite a speed, she found herself outside her friend's home. She began to frantically knock on the door. "Rainbow Dash, are you in? Are you all right?" she called. She received no response for her troubles. Her nerves starting to get to her, she looked in through the window to see that it was empty. Her bed was unmade as it usually was, and her kitchen was a mess from when she made – or at least attempted to make – her breakfast. "She probably got called to do some emergency weather duty or something," she reasoned to herself. Nevertheless, it left her with most of the morning open. She sighed, visibly deflating as she did so. "Now what can I do?"

Her face lit up when she had an idea. "I'll go see Rarity and Hugo!"With that in mind, she flew away from Rainbow's house and veered towards Ponyville.

As she flew, her highly good hearing couldn't help but pick up the sound of ponies arguing at each other. Fluttershy never liked arguing; she preferred to think rationally and logically about problems so she could solve them quicker. Shouting was something that wouldn't get anypony anywhere, it would just lead to further anger and hatred, something Vidarr warned her about two years ago. She ignored the shouting as best she could and flew on, picking up speed a little just to be sure.

She smiled when she saw the Carousel Boutique coming up below her. She fluttered gently to the ground, landing at a trot, and walked up to the door. She lifted a hoof up to knock, but before she could a voice behind her said, "They're not in."

She turned around to see an old earth pony with a bubble pipe as a cutie mark staring at her. Fluttershy walked up to the old pony, her face giving away her confusion. "Um, excuse me, but what do you mean, sir?"

"I mean that they both have gone out. I don't think the stallion is coming back, though. He left first with bags full of possessions on his back and trailing behind him. Heading towards the train station, I believe. I don't know if my glasses were playing up, but he looked to be on the verge of tears," the old pony explained.

Fluttershy felt her hooves clamp over her mouth in complete and utter shock. If Hugo had taken all his stuff and headed for the station then that meant… _'The marriage is cancelled,' _she thought in disbelief. "That can't be true. It just can't!" Fluttershy cried, her eyes threatening to spill tears.

The old stallion nodded his head sadly. "Afraid so, miss."

Fluttershy took a step back from him, shaking her head in disbelief. What the hay happened during the night that made them wish to never see each other again? She looked to the ground between her and the old pony, her heart racing in sorrow for her unicorn friend. "Rarity must be devastated," she said aloud.

A chuckle escaped from the old pony. "Devastated? Miss Rarity looked extremely delighted when she left this morning. She was just about prancing when she left her home this morning."

Fluttershy looked up at the old pony, her look of horror giving way to a scowl. "Rarity would never be like that!" she yelled. She didn't want to yell, but she couldn't help it. How can this pony, who barely knew Rarity like Fluttershy did, ever say such a thing? "She might have looked like it so it didn't seem like nothing was wrong, but deep down she must be hurting." She backed away from the pony once more, looking left and right. "I need to find her." Without another word she galloped into town, desperate to find her friend.

She couldn't get her head around the fact that the engagement was over, and wanted to know how it could have happened. The day before they were talking and laughing joyfully, and getting ready to spend the rest of their lives together. Now, that future was destroyed, and not only devastated Rarity and Hugo, but Fluttershy as well. She had worked tirelessly to make Rarity happy and get the stallion of her dreams, but that dream had been crushed for reasons unknown to the pegasus.

She wanted to know why it suddenly went wrong, but how could she get the question out of her friend, she didn't know. _'Don't be silly, Fluttershy,' _Fluttershy chided herself._ 'You shouldn't force the question out of her. She'll tell you when she's ready.'_ That was a matter for a different time. Now, Rarity needed a shoulder to cry on, and Fluttershy wanted to be there for her.

But where could she be?

It was near the marketplace where she suddenly stopped with a skid. "Of course!" she exclaimed. "The library!" Twilight was one of the kindest ponies she knew, and perfect for a good shoulder to cry on and being a good listener. With the library set as her destination, she spun around and galloped in the direction of the great oak tree the library was built in. As she ran, she didn't fail to notice the lack of ponies talking to each other like they usually did, or some heavy arguments between ponies who she knew were really close friends. _'What is going on with everypony?'_ she mused. She cleared her head about it. _'Probably one of those days were everypony is a meanie to each other.'_

After five minutes or so of galloping she was standing at the front door of the library. She pricked her ears up to see if she could hear the wails of her friend from inside, and was surprised when she couldn't. _'Rarity must be a quieter crier than I thought she was,'_ she thought. She lifted her hoof up and gave a few gentle taps of the door. After a moment, much to her surprise, Spike opened the door. "Oh, hey Fluttershy," he greeted her.

"Hi, Spike." She glanced over the little dragon to see if Twilight was in, and possibly Rarity close by.

"You're looking for Twilight, aren't you?" Spike enquired, lifting an eyebrow.

Fluttershy squeaked and nodded. "And Rarity too, if she's in."

"Sorry, but they're not. They met here then went off…" Sudden confusion dawned across his face. "Hold on, shouldn't you be at this meeting Twilight talked about?"

Now it was Fluttershy's turn to look confused. "Meeting? What meeting?"

"This meeting that Twilight said you were all gonna be doing. Something about discussing something or other. I didn't get most of it, but it sounded pretty important."

Fluttershy was puzzled. None of them had told her of this meeting that was taken place. _'Unless they tried to, but because I was so hasty getting out they came around and didn't know where I was,' _she thought to herself. "Do you know where this meeting's taking place?" she asked Spike.

"Yeah," Spike answered, nodding, "I think she went to Sweet Apple Acres. Said Applejack said they could use her barn for it." He gestured with his head in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. "You best get there if you want to hear it all."

Fluttershy's eyes widened when she realised she should be there. "Oh my goodness! Of courses I should be there, but I'm not there! Oh, I wish I could stay and chat, Spike, but I got to go. I'll speak to you later, bye!" With that, Fluttershy spun around and galloped in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.

As she ran off, she could hear Spike mutter, "Now back to cooking that jewel cake."

After fifteen minutes of galloping, Fluttershy arrived at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres. Once she arrived outside the first orchard she stopped for a moment and sat on her rump to rest and take a breather. "I'm not as quick as I once was," she said to herself. As soon as she felt ready again, she got up and broke into a trot towards the barn, which she could see its steeple in the distance, just above the tree line.

As she got closer she wondered why her friends were having a meeting? Was it about Hugo and the all of a sudden split up between him and Rarity? Alternatively, had the Elements of Harmony been suddenly called into action once again? Had Discord broken his promise and was now spreading chaos across Equestria, or was it something more? Either way, she was about to find out.

Fluttershy soon found herself in the yard with the barn directly in front of her, and the sound of easily recognisable ponies talking to each other. She smiled when she heard them discussing something or other, and brought herself into a gallop so she could open the doors and give Rarity a comforting hug.

"I'll tell you all right now, I was so glad to see the back of him!" Rarity declared, making Fluttershy skid to a halt. Her eyes widened and her jaw slackened. Did she just hear right? She put her hooves in her ears to see if they weren't blocked, and apart from a few dirty bits, found them to be clean.

"I don't know what ya saw in 'im, Rarity," Applejack said, "but I'm glad ya came to your senses in the end."

"Oh, thank you, my dear," Rarity replied. A small sigh followed. "I should never have listened to her. Everything she usually says ruins my life in someway."

Fluttershy thought she could feel her heart stop beating, only for it to start going faster. "What?" she whispered aloud. She suddenly realised that _she_ was the one who told Rarity to try it out with Hugo, and her eyes widened at the realisation. "No…"

"I know," Rainbow came in. "Although I'm surprised you could hear her most of the time. She's usually so darn quiet you get a better conversation from a mouse than her, and a mouse doesn't even speak." A fit of giggles followed, which made Fluttershy's heartbeat go only faster. _'Please, someone, please tell me this is just a prank.'_

"Well you're all lucky you don't have to put up with her most of the time like I do," Rarity complained. "It's usually the same, boring, conversation with her at the spa, and now it's only worse since she has that stupid fire thing to lie on. It really smokes up the place, and I come out of there more stressed than relaxed these days." Fluttershy felt her heart suddenly splinter.

"Hey, well you don't have to teach her to fly. But I do. Me? Teach a pegasus, to _fly_? Do you know how lame that sounds?" Rainbow retorted.

"Not as lame as the pony you have to teach, I imagine," Applejack said coldly.

Fluttershy felt her heart stop beating all together, and was now starting to crack apart. "No…" she whispered, with tears in her eyes and starting to drip down her face. "Please tell me this isn't so…"

"She is way too shy as well," Pinkie suddenly said. "I mean, in four years of, unfortunately, knowing her, I never hosted a single birthday party for her! Not a single one!"

"And when I try to introduce her to new ponies, she just squeaks, faints, or runs away," Rarity went on, every word feeling like a hammer to Fluttershy's glass heart. "I don't know why I even bother."

"Neither do I," Twilight said. "You should have given up on her ages ago. We all should have. I don't know how or why I took it for so long, but I don't think I can put up with her voice anymore, or any of her whiny self for that matter." A few, "Mmm hmm," followed in agreement. "So I think we all can agree then. We'll have nothing more to do with Fluttershy."

"Agreed!" came the reply from the other four ponies.

At that moment, Fluttershy felt her heart suddenly get ripped up in five pieces, and then each piece was shattered before her. She put a hoof to her chest to assure herself her heart was still beating, which it was. A part of her wish it wasn't, though.

She was glued to the spot, her eyes, even though she was half blinded by tears, were fixed on the door as her mind tried to tell her what just happened. She wanted to bite herself to see if she was dreaming, that she was lying ill on her couch and hadn't woken up yet. But something in her mind told her this wasn't a dream. This was as real as it gets, and she hated it. She heaved a few sobs back as the barn door opened and the five ponies that had just spoken about her vehemently strode towards her. They stopped when they saw Fluttershy standing there, and glared at her with contempt.

"H-how can you do this to me?" Fluttershy screamed at them, tears pouring down her face. "I thought you loved me, as I loved you!"

Twilight stepped forward, looking at her with a hatred – and something else that Fluttershy couldn't decipher, or care to notice – she hadn't seen since facing Heimdallr for the first time. "Oh, Fluttershy," Twilight said gently, "as if we could ever love somepony like you."

That was too much for the heartbroken pegasus. Unable to stand the sight of them anymore, she spun around and galloped as fast as she could out of Sweet Apple Acres and back into town, wailing in sorrow.

She didn't stop when some ponies asked her what was wrong, nor did she want to; she just wanted to get away from everything. She felt herself run into one pony and fall to the ground, but quickly got up and galloped off again, not once looking back because she dared not. She was half blind with tears, but that didn't stop her from getting out of Ponyville.

She looked up through teary eyes to see her home was in sight, and galloped even faster just to get in. She didn't want to look back in case her (former) friends were following her, laughing mockingly at her, so she didn't; her mind was set on getting herself home.

She galloped over the little bridge, barged the door open, and once she was inside slammed it shut behind her. Once she realised she was in the safety of her home, she turned around and locked the door so nopony could follow her inside. Once the lock was in place, she pressed her head against the door and cried inconsolably, her body shaking with sorrow. Her friends – the only friends she ever had, the ones she could talk to about problems, the ones she once trusted and loved like they were family, had shredded that lovable guise and showed their true colours today – they hated her, and sounded like they always have. "Why!" she wailed, thumping the door while her body sank to the ground, her tears never once losing their momentum.

Rosemary came out of her hutch and, upon seeing her carer in such a state, raced over and hugged her foreleg. Fluttershy looked down at Rosemary with solemn eyes, as tears fell like rain down her face. The small rabbit jumped up onto her back and wrapped her little arms around her carer's neck, nuzzling her gently. Fluttershy sobbed some more, but returned the nuzzle.

A sudden collection of noises from the cottage bolted her head upright to see what it was. From all around the house, every animal that was in her care or were one of her dearest friends began inching their way towards her, their eyes sullen as they wanted to know what was wrong. Fluttershy looked at them all with wide, yet devastated eyes. She had friends still, but those ponies she had known for four years were supposed to be more than just friends – they were meant to be family.

"Oh, Rosemary," she sobbed, closing her eyes. "My friends… they were supposed to be my friends… they… they broke my heart…" Her voice faded away as she spilled the pieces of her heart out once more, while all her animal friends could do was crowd around her and listen to her cry uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, a roaring wind like a hurricane came up through Equestria from the south. It swept across the land quickly, and whistled as it flew by in a flash. Although most ponies who felt it couldn't hear it, those with keener hearing could make out the sound of maniacal laughter echoing amongst the wind.


	2. Chapter 2

An hour later, Fluttershy found herself writing out a five-day plan that would avoid any contact with those she once called her family. Living in a small town where most ponies knew each other, it was hard for a pony to avoid contact with another. Most would consider it impossible. Nevertheless, Fluttershy was steadfast in her belief that she could avoid them; she knew what they did most of the week, anyway, so she thought she could easily avoid them. _'At least, I think so,' _she thought gloomily.

Although a part of her wanted to march into Ponyville, find each of them in turn and ask, no, _demand_ the reason why they want nothing to do with her anymore. But deep down, she knew the answer already. _'They think I'm worthless,'_ she thought despairingly. She sighed sadly, tears forming in her eyes, as she looked at the five-day plan she had made in her shaking hooves. _'What if I am worthless?' _

She was literally shaken out of her despair by Rosemary, reminding her that she was not worthless after all. She had raised this small rabbit after her father died and her mother had left, and was the closest thing to a parent Rosemary had. Fluttershy gave her a small, brave smile, and hugged the rabbit tight, even as tears like rain droplets dripped down her face. "I shouldn't despair," she said to the rabbit. "I mean, I've got my health, and I've got all of you. So what if they don't like me anymore?" She put the little bunny down, and then patted Rosemary on the head. "I think I can live without them." She stood up on all fours and went about her chores.

"No more tears," she told herself sternly.

Yet, when she went to bed, she could be heard by the critters that lived in her house crying heavily into sleep, prompting Rosemary to go upstairs and have Fluttershy hug her like a teddy bear. When Fluttershy's crying didn't reside, other animals that lived with her flocked into her bedroom, hoping that would ease the pain she was in. Yet despite the attention from her animals, it was clear to most of them what happened to Fluttershy.

She was broken. Her pony friends had been everything to her. Her life, her very reason of living and that she was still alive, was because of them. Yet, they had discarded her like a piece of unwanted food. So for most of the night, Fluttershy kept her animals awake with her sobs, spilling out her sorrow in great waterfalls of tears. Eventually, Fluttershy finally drifted off to sleep, haunted by bad dreams.

The next morning, Fluttershy awakened to the sight of all the animals that were in her care on and around her bed, with Rosemary tucked under her forelegs. She gently detached herself from Rosemary, and then headed to the bathroom to look in the mirror. As she walked, her head was low, her ears were flat across her head, and her tail dragged along behind her as if a weight was attached to it.

Once she made it to the bathroom, Fluttershy looked into the mirror, and sighed at what she saw. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying and fatigue, her mane was sticking up in various places, and she wore a large frown that she figured would never lift off. _'Better suck it up, Fluttershy,' _she thought, taking a deep breath and wiping her face with her hooves. _'The animals aren't going to feed themselves.'_

After a thorough cleanup of herself, and a toilet break, she made her way downstairs and checked her list of what she had to do. "Okay: Monday I need to get carrots for all the bunnies. Tuesday I need to go and get some other vegetables – except apples because Applejack is in charge of the stall on that day. Wednesday I will get some apples from the stall, since Applebloom is in charge. Thursday I'll have to get some seeds so I could grow my own vegetables. And Friday I have to get some chicken feed." She nodded sharply at it, proud of herself that she could come up with such a plan.

It should be easy enough to avoid her other former friends as well, especially on this day. On Monday she knew Rainbow would be cleaning up clouds away from Ponyville, so it would be easy avoiding her. Twilight would be indoors studying. Pinkie would be in charge of Sugarcube Corner, but that didn't matter for she didn't need any sweets. And Applejack was down at the farm. The only pony she had to worry about running into was Rarity, for she liked going out and getting some fresh air between her work on that day. The rest of the week was completely random, so they could appear anywhere. But that was a problem for another day. With her plan together, she set off to her tasks.

Monday passed by without a hitch: she went into town, got the carrots she desired, and headed back to her cottage, not stopping to pay attention to the large number of arguments and fights erupting between ponies across town.

Tuesday had only one problem. Fluttershy flew into town and towards the market stores for her vegetables. She arrived there to find it nearly devoid of life, which was strange, but Fluttershy shrugged it off as a fleeting concern. In a way, it made things easier, for she got what she wanted quickly. When she made her way to trot back home, however, she found her path going towards the library, and saw at its front the five ponies that never wanted to see her again, for apparently no reason.

She looked at them for a second, all sitting at the front of the library laughing and smiling at each other about something. It gave her an unwanted urge to walk up to one of them, and punch her right under the jaw. She felt an anger building up inside of her that she hadn't felt since her father died two years ago. She felt betrayed. She felt like they had all been smiling at her lovingly for the past four years, and then that Sunday each one of them ripped a piece of her heart out of her chest, laughing manically as they did so. She wanted to scream at them, hit one or all of them for lying to her.

She suddenly remembered her vows as a Dragonlord, and the rules the order stood by, especially the one about striking an innocent. So, instead of hitting one of them, she galloped down the street back into town and took the long way round, trying desperately to hold back tears.

Wednesday was much worse, for she nearly ran into Rainbow and Rarity. Fluttershy was walking down the street, having bought her apples from Applebloom and had a friendly conversation with the young mare, when she squeaked in alarm upon seeing Rainbow and Rarity trotting down the street towards her. Luckily, they were looking at each other and not in front of them, giving time for Fluttershy to hide. In haste, she grabbed a large hat from a stand, paid the shopkeeper, placed it on her head, then sat on a nearby bench and set her head low so the wide brim of the hat covered her body and her cutie mark. Her heart raced the closer their voices got, to the point when they were right next to her, making her think that her heart was going to explode. But they soon were trotting down the street, completely oblivious to the yellow mare hiding from them.

'_Since when did it come to this?' _she thought, lifting her head and watching them with teary eyes as they walked away. She got off the bench and made her way back home, her head low and her eyes filled with sorrow. She never noticed another fight break out down the street.

Thursday was slightly better. A small, grey squirrel came to her cottage in the early hours of the morning that needed help with a problem in its stomach. Fluttershy tried everything she knew, but nothing worked. When she realised she had to go to the library to find out what was the problem, she groaned at the chances of it happening. _'Almost as if someone is doing all this on purpose, laughing while he or she does it.' _Nevertheless, the poor little thing needed help, and Fluttershy wouldn't ever let her problems overshadow that of another's. She left the squirrel with some painkillers, and then galloped into town as fast as she could.

She soon arrived at the library to find, to her surprise, it deserted. "Spike?" she called, hoping he would answer and not _her_. She waited for a few minutes to see if there was a reply, but none came. Satisfied that she was alone, she began rummaging through the books for ones on illnesses. Eventually she came to a book that had the problem and the cure. She tucked the book under her left wring, wrote on a parchment saying what book has been leant out, but not saying who had burrowed it; she didn't want Twilight turning up at her door demanding to return the book. She took out the bits that were needed and flung them on the table next to the parchment, then quickly left.

After heading home and checking on the squirrel, she went back into town to buy large bags of seeds to grow her own vegetables and such. _'This way, I will never have to go into town again,' _she thought to herself as she bought them.

Friday was definitely the best day. She left the house early, went into town just as the sun was rising, and got a sack full of chicken feed that would last a week. With that done, she went home, fed her chickens, got out their eggs and finished whatever jobs she needed to do around her home. With her animals tended to, she began to dig a patch of her garden to create her own vegetable patch, big enough to give her food to last for herself and her animal friends, and large enough to grow enough food for weeks on end.

Once the patch had been made, and the first seeds had been planted and watered, she stepped back from the patch and looked at her new area with pride – although she didn't smile. The rest of the day was spent trying to relax outside and enjoy the day in the company of her animal friends.

However, despite the tranquillity of her surroundings, she couldn't bring herself to relax. Her mind and life was now in complete turmoil. Everything was supposed to be going right; Rarity was going to get married, Fluttershy would eventually become a godmother, and all of them would become an even closer family. But suddenly everything came crashing down like a sudden thunderstorm. She briefly wondered if her friends had always hated her. That they just had her around to give them something to laugh about when her back was turned. Laugh at weak, easy to push around Fluttershy, for she wouldn't complain and stand up for herself, she would just back into a corner and cry.

They seemed to forget who she now was. What she was capable of; what she can do. She wasn't a pushover anymore; she was a Dragonlord, a warrior pony with dragon blood running through her veins. A pony that has fought in several battles and has the scars on her face and back to prove it. She was far stronger than she was when she had first met them.

Yet why did she feel so weak?

It was only when the sun started to go down did Fluttershy decide to retire back to her bed for the night, surrounded by her animal friends to give her comfort. The week had been hell, and she knew it wasn't going to get any easier.

* * *

The next morning, Fluttershy was awoken by the sounds of birds singing from the Everfree Forest, and the sound of heavy rain from outside. It had rained like this every day since last Sunday, on and off; it was as if the world shared Fluttershy's sorrow. Fluttershy groggily got out of bed, stretched her legs out, stifling a groan as she did so, and then went downstairs to get some of her favourite tea, hoping that would put her in a better mood.

Surprisingly, it did. Despite the fact she couldn't feel the warming feel the tea once gave her, the taste was enough to turn her sad mood on it's head. She drunk down the whole cup in a few gulps, then sank into her couch and watched the little birds that lived in her indoor birdhouses flutter around their homes, cleaning them out and feeding the little ones inside.

She watched this with a small amount of happiness, as was evident by the smile growing on her face. It felt good to smile again after a long week, and she hoped she could keep it up for a long time. She looked from the birds to a couple of squirrels chasing one another across her floor, and giggled as the one up front outsmarted the other with ease. "Careful, you two," she warned them, watching them as they began to play tug of war with a nut. The two looked at her for a moment, then set the nut down and chased each other outside. Fluttershy giggled once more, with the small smile crawling wider on her face. _'It feels good to be smiling again,' _she thought.

After a moment, more animals appeared: badgers, foxes, weasels, owls, falcons, eagles and other animals soon brought life into her little home, lightening her mood greatly. An owl fluttered down onto the chair next to the couch, and hooted some well wishes. "Thank you, Misses Owl," she said. "But I should be all right from now on." She sipped some more of her tea, sighing once more as she curled herself up into the comfortable couch. "No time for rest, Fluttershy," she muttered to herself a few minutes later, when she saw the animals were getting restless for their food. "These animals need you."

She finished the last of her tea, and jumped off the couch. "How about I put on some music?" she asked the animals. Tweets, squeaks and other sounds of acceptance welcomed the idea. Grinning, Fluttershy pranced up to her music collection and began looking through the various music she had. She wanted something that would lift her spirits, something to give her a reason to dance to. She couldn't help but grin when she found the right one.

"'I will survive'," she read the title aloud. She gave the record a quick hug. "I could really use you at the moment," she said to it. She fluttered over to her gramophone, put it in place, set the needle down, and turned up the volume.

As the music began, she felt a large grin form on her face as the music and the singing kicked in. "At first I was afraid, I was petrified. Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side," she sang. "But then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong. And I grew strong! And I learned how to get along." With the song playing, and her hips swaying from side to side to the beat, she set about doing what she did best – helping her animal friends.

She flew outside to feed her birds and weasels, the music blaring from her home, singing, "Go on now, go, just walk out the door. Just turn around now. 'Cause you're not welcome anymore. Weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye? Did you think I'd crumble? Did you think I'd lay down and die?"

She shouted out the chorus, spinning in the air, "Oh, no, not I! I will survive! Oh, as long as I know how to love, I'll know I'll stay alive! I've got all my life to live, I've got all my love to give! And I will survive! I will survive! Hey, hey!"

She flew over the house, doing a barrel roll as she did so, and landed in the garden to feed her chickens and collect their eggs, as well as tending to all the other animals' needs. All this she did while singing her heart out and dancing without a care in the world of who was watching – only her animal friends would see this, and they wouldn't be able to tell anypony she didn't want to know.

A few minutes later, she pranced back inside the cottage just as the song was coming to the end. Several of the animals clapped their paws or claws together, praising Fluttershy's dancing. Fluttershy gave a modest little bow, and then began dishing out the remaining meals. "Don't worry, little friends, I'll put another song on in a moment," she assured them, noticing the pleading looks she was getting.

She set their bowls and plates down in separate areas, then stood back and watched with pride as her animals dug in to their meals. She had organised them this way herself, she recalled. There wouldn't be any of this order if it weren't for her. Not Twilight, not Applejack, not anypony; just her. _'The song is right. I will manage without them.' _

She turned around to get another record out, only to come face to face with a picture with her and the rest of her former friends. Fluttershy's grin faded instantly upon laying eyes on it. She was in the middle, lying on the ground with Twilight above her, Rarity was at her right, and Applejack was on her left. Behind Applejack was Rainbow Dash, and behind Rarity was Pinkie. All of them were facing the camera and smiling, laughing, enjoying the day they had together that day. A day before she became a Dragonlord – a day before everything changed for the worse.

Fluttershy's lips trembled as she looked at the picture, tears welling up in her eyes. But that sorrow quickly faded away, to be replaced with hatred. She yanked the picture off the shelf, stormed over to the window, opened it, and then with a scream of anger flung it outside. She watched it soar across the sky for quite a distance, before watching it crash down just outside the confines of her home. "I don't need any of you!" she yelled as she watched it land with a sound of cracking glass. "I don't need anypony!" She slammed the window shut and turned around, fuming. The animals in the home flinched when she slammed the window, and then hastily scurried back to their homes, intending to get away from the angry mare.

Fluttershy's anger evaporated instantly as she watched them go. "No, wait, please, don't go," she pleaded, raising a hoof at them to stop them. But it did no good. She found herself to be alone once more, and hated it, more than ever. She burst into tears once more. She threw a leg over her eyes in a bid to stop the tears, but it did no good. She just kept on crying.

She cried for ten minutes or so, until there were no more tears to spill. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, then got up from the floor and flopped onto her couch, miserable once again. _'How could they say they hate me? After everything we have done together?' _she thought. In fact, the more she thought about it, the less it made any sense.

They all knew she was shy, and sometimes would jump at the slightest thing; it was something that was less frequent thanks to her Dragonlord hearing but it still happened. She didn't like large crowds, which they knew, and she would sometimes take extreme lengths to avoid conversation with any stallion or mare that took an romantic interest in her – something that she knew annoyed Rarity, who had set her up on several dates to which Fluttershy turned up to none.

Nevertheless, every time she'd messed up, or had done something wrong or whatever, they would pat her on the back, give her commiserations or forgive her, and carry on. They went to each other's birthdays, gave each other presents, and so on. So why this sudden hatred and dislike towards her? She hadn't done anything wrong the day before, did she? _'Don't be ridiculous, Fluttershy,'_ she said to herself. _'You did nothing wrong at all that Saturday. You couldn't see the meteor shower that night because you were ill. They understood that, and accepted it. So why all of a sudden they don't want to be my friend anymore?' _

There was only one way she knew she would find out, and hated the thought of it. She would have to confront one of them, and demand answers.

But who should she see, and more importantly, who could she defeat incase it turned ugly? Twilight was powerful at magic, and could easily stun her and knock her out without even looking. Rarity was surprisingly a no as well; she had become more powerful in magic with Twilight teaching her some spells, and would know a few tricks. Pinkie would know she was coming for her before she even left the house. Rainbow was much quicker than her, and could easily out fly and outwit her. So that left Applejack.

The earth pony might be strong, but thanks to her Dragonlord blood, Fluttershy was stronger. She could catch Applejack alone in the orchards, then, if necessary, pin her down and get answers from the mare. _'Plus she's the bearer to the element of honesty, so she can't lie,' _she thought, grinning at herself.

With that plan in mind, she plucked up all the courage in her she needed for this. She jumped off the couch and walked into the bathroom, determination written in the pegasus's eyes. Once in front of the mirror, she wiped her eyes and cleaned her face, wiping her cheeks of the tears that stained them, and quickly gave herself a look over.

'_I look fine,'_ she thought. _'I look like I'm managing without them.' _But the truth was she wasn't managing without them. She wanted them back in her life; she wanted all of them to be her friends again, and carry on like it was just a bad dream. _'I wouldn't be doing this if I was okay.'_

She took a deep breath, and then sauntered to the door. "Come on, Fluttershy, you can do this," she goaded herself. "You faced a burning dragon in battle deep below a great ocean, and defeated him. Surely you can face one mare." With another deep breath, she lifted her head up, boosting herself with confidence, and opened the front door…

Only to find Spike about to knock on the door with a sombre expression on his face and tears in his eyes, while behind him was his little bed and a bag full of his possessions.

Fluttershy flinched back in surprise. "Spike? What are you doing here?" She leaned her head through the door and glanced around, expecting to see Twilight not too far behind. She pricked her ears up as high as they could go, hoping she would hear faint whispers of some certain ponies being mean to her and him. But she could not see nor hear any. She looked down again at Spike, who was now looking at the ground tearfully, and it made Fluttershy's already broken heart fracture. "What happened?"

At that, Spike threw himself into her embrace, spilling out tears of sorrow. "She kicked me out!" he cried, trying to keep his voice under control. "She said I wasn't needed anymore, and told me to leave! I asked why but she just… just…" He couldn't say anymore, but his tears said the rest.

Fluttershy gaped in shock. She quickly returned the hug, trying hard not to spill any tears she felt were coming. "There, there," she cooed softly, running a hoof up and down his rough back. "It'll be okay. You're safe now."

Once they pulled away, Fluttershy led Spike to the couch, set him down on it, then got out one of her blankets she kept in the cupboard under the stairs and threw it around him. With Spike comfortable for the moment, Fluttershy got hold of his belongings and brought them inside. She situated them just by the hearth. With his things taken care of, she went back to the couch and hugged him tight once again. Spike quickly returned the hug, spilling out more tears silently.

While Fluttershy felt a pang of sadness towards Spike, she could also feel a great heat of hatred arise in her for Twilight Sparkle. "I am so sorry, Spike," Fluttershy whispered, resting her chin on Spike's head.

"Don't be," Spike sniffed, looking up at her. "It isn't your fault she threw me out with nowhere to go."

"But you do have somewhere to go." She gestured with a fore-hoof at her home. "Here. With me. If I'm honest, I could use the company, and so could you."

"You mean after what happened after last Sunday?"

Fluttershy grimaced as she remembered the words she had heard coming from their mouths stinging like a swarm of bees. "Did Twilight tell you about it?" The way she said Twilight's name was laced with venom.

Spike nodded abruptly. "She seemed quite pleased with herself about it, from the way she came in afterwards. She told me about it just before she kicked me out."

Fluttershy looked at him incredulously. "You mean, she kicked you out a week ago?" Spike nodded sadly. Fluttershy could feel her hatred for the lavender unicorn rise steadily. "Then, where have you been all this time?"

"I went first to Rarity's, but she kicked me out after one day for no reason. I then went to Sugarcube Corner, but again, after a day they threw me out. I couldn't go to Rainbow's since she lives in the sky, but she said she didn't want me there anyway. So then I went to Applejack's. The Apples allowed me to stay there for a while, despite Applejack's harsh objections. It was after a while they caved in and sent me away, but not before Applebloom mentioned you, and the fact you haven't been acting as strangely as everypony else."

A great silence filled the room. Fluttershy took a deep breath to control the burning rage she felt inside her; it was all she could do to stop herself from going into town and slapping them all hard in the face. _'How can they do this to him? He's just a baby dragon!'_ She gave the little dragon a pat on the back. "Well you are safe now, Spike. Do you need anything, like a drink or some food?"

"No thanks. I'm not hungry, nor thirsty at the moment. And thanks, Fluttershy, for letting me stay here. I won't be in your way, will I?" he asked, his tone giving away his fear of being sent away again.

"Oh, of course not," Fluttershy said, waving the thought away with a hoof. "Make yourself comfortable around here, but just don't expect me to do everything for you, okay?"

"Of course I won't. I'll even help you with tending to your animal friends, if you like."

Fluttershy looked into his eyes, seeing the sincerity of what he just said, and smiled. "I would like that. Thank you, Spike." The two held each other close once more as they listened to the birds returning with joyous songs as the day brightened once again, and the small cries of animals outside greeting each other. As they sat there, Fluttershy's mind raced with heavy thought. How could Twilight have kicked him out? How could the others be so cruel to him as well? How could all of this have happened?

"I just don't understand how all this happened," Spike worded out her thoughts. "I mean one day we were all laughing together and celebrating Rarity's engagement. The next, her fiancée leaves town for good, all our friends turn against us, and nearly everypony goes bonkers at each other!" He sniffed back tears, clinging to her tighter. "Are we dreaming?"

Fluttershy hugged him just as tight. "I wish we were, Spike. I wish we were." The two fell silent once more as they huddled together on the couch, their minds wild with thought. Fluttershy was trying desperately hard to not give in to the urge of marching into Ponyville and raging at all of them, but she was losing that battle, most especially with Twilight.

'_How can she do this to him?' _Fluttershy thought. _'He was more to her as a friend, but a little brother! She should be protecting him, but instead she discarded him as quickly as she did me! She betrayed him! Twilight said once she would never give him up for everything! She said she would never do this to him! And I know for certain she wouldn't unless… unless she… oh my…' _

Her thoughts trailed off as her mind raced back to a memory about a year ago, having not long returned from the Crystal Empire.

* * *

The rain battered against the window of the library, creating a sound that seemed to Fluttershy like tiny knocks on the window. "Some storm, huh?" Twilight shouted from the upper floor.

Fluttershy looked from the blood red book in front of her to the silhouette of Twilight on her bedroom floor, searching for pieces of parchment and spare quills. "Oh, yes," she agreed. "When Rainbow Dash told me it was planned to be the storm of the century, I didn't quite believe her." Her ears flattened across her head, and she rubbed her left foreleg with her other hoof. "I do feel awful for not really believing her."

"Well, to be fair, neither did I," Twilight admitted. "She does tend to exaggerate somewhat sometimes. But I don't think she did for this one."

Suddenly, two flashes of lightning lit up outside, followed shortly by two claps of thunder. Both ponies shrieked in surprise, leapt into the air and landed on their rumps. "Ow," Fluttershy muttered to herself upon feeling her backside hit the ground. She looked up to the bedroom floor. "You okay, Twilight?" Fluttershy called, rubbing her rear.

"I'm fine!" Twilight replied. "Right, now where did I put those quills?" The unicorn began searching frantically for them once again, getting increasingly frustrated by their continued absence. "Urgh! Spike!" she called out, only to quickly remember that Spike wasn't here.

Fluttershy looked around for the little dragon, and then looked to the stairs leading down to the ground floor, expecting him to turn up out of breath from running up the stairs. At that moment, she too remembered he wasn't here. "Hey, Twilight, where is Spike? I thought he would be helping us with the book."

"Wait a minute… is that them there? Yes!" Twilight squeaked. A shuffle of things was heard for a moment, before there was the sound of hooves running down the stairs to the middle level. Fluttershy turned her head to the upper staircase and smiled as Twilight appeared with her mouth full of quills. "Sorry about that," she said quickly once she set them down in front of her.

"Don't be sorry, Twilight. It wouldn't do if we didn't have any quills to write out this book. Where did you find all of them anyway?"

Twilight moved to sit on a cushion waiting for her next to the pegasus. "Oh, I just remembered that I keep a whole group of spare ones behind one of the bookshelves." Fluttershy cocked an eyebrow, to which Twilight shrugged in response. "Keep yourself organised, that's what my mother said to me." She moved on to answer Fluttershy's earlier question. "And Spike is in Canterlot at the moment, helping out Princess Celestia with something and boasting about his prowess when we were in the Crystal Empire." She sighed sadly, then picked up a quill and started scribbling the introduction to the chapter they had already planned.

"You must be really proud of him," Fluttershy said, smiling. "How he managed to save the Crystal Empire from King Sombra, and give the crystal heart back to the crystal ponies."

Twilight nodded slowly. "Oh yes, I am proud of him. Really, really proud."

Fluttershy tilted her head a little, confused by the sad tone Twilight had in her voice. "Um, I don't mean to sound rude, but you don't sound like it though." Twilight let out a long sigh and dipped her head. Fluttershy slung a leg over Twilight's shoulder and nuzzled her comfortingly. "Come on, Twilight, what's wrong? You know you can tell me anything."

Twilight nodded, and looked up at her. "It's just that he's not the little dragon that he was when I hatched him from an egg. Don't ever tell him this, please, but… he is like a son to me, or a younger brother. He's growing up so fast. He'll soon be running about getting the girls and doing his own thing."

Fluttershy giggled while removing her leg from Twilight's shoulders. "To be fair, isn't that what he is doing already? We all know how much he loves Rarity, so one day he'll be trying to court her."

"He's tried that already. Several times, to be exact," Twilight giggled. Her smile withered. "I just hope one day he won't go and live in his own place. I don't think I could continue living here without him. He knows that as well, so he wouldn't. Would he?"

Fluttershy cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

Twilight sighed and then turned to face Fluttershy. "Did I ever tell you girls what happened in the castle while you all put on the crystal fair?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "No, I don't think you did. What did happen… if you want to tell me, of course? I don't want to force you to say it if it makes you uncomfortable."

Twilight stifled a giggle; Fluttershy might be a warrior pony, but she still had the same meek politeness she had when she first met her. "Well, while you were all putting on the crystal fair and showing those ponies a good time – which, by the way, I was surprised to hear how you were beaten so easily by Rainbow Dash in the jousting demonstration."

"I wasn't feeling too brilliant that day," Fluttershy replied defensively. "And it all came onto me at once. If I had more time to prepare, and if I was feeling better, I might have sent Rainbow flying… although I wouldn't want to do that if it meant hurting her." She shook her head, and had the subject changed back. "So anyway, you and Spike went into the castle?"

"Oh yeah, well, when we entered the castle, we had a look around for a moment, before coming to the throne," Twilight continued. "Using a spell Celestia taught me, we found a hidden stairway in the throne room that spiralled down into complete darkness.

"While Spike stayed up top, I began to navigate – well, fell, would be a better term really – down the stairs. When I arrived at the bottom, I found a door. I tried to get it open, but it just wouldn't stand still. So I used the same magic as I did with the stairway. It worked, the door opened, and I went through."

Twilight paused to shudder as she remembered what happened next. "I suddenly found myself in Canterlot. Shocked, I started looking around, until I found Princess Celestia. Cut a long story short, the door was one that led you to your worst nightmare. When Spike looked through it, he saw me sending him away, saying that I don't need him anymore. Afterwards, I told him that I would never send him away – _ever_."

Fluttershy's eyes softened, and she gave her friend a sweet smile. "I'm sure he knew that as well. You mean a lot to him, you know."

Twilight nodded. "I know, but it doesn't hurt to give him some assurance." A moment of silence followed, until Twilight spoiled it by jokingly adding, "Of course if I do kick him out, then there would be something _really_ wrong with me."

The two shared a quiet giggle, then turned their attention back to the book once more.

* * *

When her mind brought her back to the present, Fluttershy thought she was the dumbest pony alive. She wanted to slap herself for being as stupid as she felt she had been. She suddenly imagined that a wall of grief had clouded her senses to really think about the sudden change in attitude towards her and Spike by her friends.

But now that wall had been torn down, and she could finally see.

She suddenly knew that her friends – her _real_ friends – would _never_ lie to her. They would never hurt her like they did, nor would they discard her over such petty reasons; they had navigated an entire _country_ to look for her after she ran off to find Firewing, for goodness sake! And Twilight would _never_ give up Spike for anything, and would never abandon him.

Fluttershy's eyes widened in horror as her mind tried to tell her that something was wrong with her friends. _'What could have happened to them to act like _that_, though?' _Was it a spell of great, evil power? Were they going to extreme lengths to protect them from something? Were they actually changelings in disguise? The questions that started to fill her head suddenly broke away, and her mind went back to her last conversation she had with Vidarr.

"Your friends will need you, more than ever," he had said. She abruptly shuddered in fear. Was this what he meant? Was this the start of what the dragon had warned her? Either way, her friends needed help, and she knew she had to be the one to give it to them.

Her ears folded flat when she realised something. How could she, a pegasus, save her friends from whatever was happening to them without magic? She might be a warrior, but she didn't think swords would be of any use here. She realised quickly she had to go to somepony who was powerful at magic, and would help Twilight and the others with whatever's befallen them. Out of the few ponies she knew that could, one of which was Twilight, only one came to light.

Princess Celestia.

The giver of light was one of the most powerful ponies she knew, and she was a close friend of hers; the Princess would sometimes come round for tea occasionally with her and her friends so she could get away from the politics of running a country. Fluttershy knew she would help her; her faithful student and everypony else that seemed to be acting like meanies to each other.

She was about to jump off the couch to get the train to Canterlot, when another thought hit her. What about Spike? She looked down at the dragon, who was still clutching her like a child would hold to its mother when scared, and pondered, though not for long. She knew she couldn't leave Spike here on his own, especially in the state he was in. She only had one option left to her.

"Spike?" The little dragon looked up. "How do you feel about coming to Canterlot with me?" She quickly added, "I won't force you, of course. You can stay here if you'd like."

"No, no, it's okay. I'll come with you," Spike said. He quickly wiped his eyes. "I don't think I can handle being by myself for a while."

Fluttershy gave him a brave smile. "Neither can I." She hopped off the couch, and then gestured with her head for him to hop onto her back. "We won't miss the train, then," she explained.

Spike gave her a nod, then leapt off the couch and landed on her back. Fluttershy felt him wrap his arms around her neck and make himself comfortable. "Ready?" she asked, looking back. Spike nodded. "Then let's go." She instantly broke into a gallop, making Spike grip around her neck a little bit tighter. She pushed the door open, calling as she left, "I won't be long, Rosemary, bye!" Once she got outside, she broke into an even faster gallop as she headed into Ponyville.

"So," Spike asked as they entered the town, "why are we going to Canterlot again?"

"To see Celestia," Fluttershy answered, veering around another corner and into another street.

"But why? Is this sudden break-up between our friends that important to get Celestia involved?"

"It could be," she muttered to herself, though loud enough for Spike to hear. She slowed herself down into a more comfortable trot as they entered the main streets, had a look around for any wandering ponies she might bump into, and then looked back at Spike. "Doesn't it strike you as odd that they suddenly decided that they don't like us anymore? That in a single day they turn their backs on us?"

"Well, uh… sort of, I guess," Spike said, his expression saying he was giving it some thought. "Now that you mention it, it does seem too sudden."

"Exactly!" Fluttershy exclaimed, weaving her way around the crowds. "It all seems so sudden because it should never have happened. Think about it, Spike, they would never have done what has happened to us in the past five days. Twilight once said to me she would never kick you out; even if she lost everything else, she would never give you up. And I've been friends with them for so long to really believe they would hate me like that."

She rounded another bend and headed down the street towards the library. "I don't understand how you can think that, Fluttershy," Spike said. "You heard them say those things, and I heard them all say those things about me."

"Yes, you're right, I did hear those things they all said about me," Fluttershy said. "But now that I think about it, I believe they didn't say those things on their own free will."

Spike looked weirdly at her. "What are you saying?"

"I fear that something has happened to them, Spike," Fluttershy explained. "Something that has made them act this way and has ruined our friendships with them. That's why we're going to see the Princess; she's the only pony I know with magic great enough to help. We can't rely on Twilight's magic this time."

Once they were out of the crowds once more, Fluttershy looked back at Spike, and read his expression. It shifted from one emotion to the next. First, it was understanding, then disbelief, then anger, then sadness, until it went full circle once more. She didn't blame him for not entirely believing her, but she wanted him to, for her sakes more than anyone else's.

Fluttershy came to a stop. "Spike, I know you're having a hard time to believe this. I know you feel betrayed, Spike. I do too. But I know, deep down in my heart, that they would never really do what they did to us."

Spike looked lost. "But, how can you be so sure that something did happen to them?" he queried. "What if they really don't like us anymore?"

"I am not entirely sure," Fluttershy admitted. "But I will not give up on my friends without a fight." She lifted up a hoof for him to shake. "Are you still with me?" She saw a thousand conflicting thoughts pass across his eyes. "I can't do this alone, Spike. I need all the friends I have by my side to help me."

After a moment of intense thought, Spike sighed. "All right, Fluttershy." He took hold of Fluttershy's hoof in his claw. "I'm with you. I may not entirely believe you, but I will help you. For all our sakes."

Although she wanted him to believe her completely, she couldn't argue with his help. "Thank you," she said, grinning. She took her hoof off his claw, and then continued to gallop down the street and towards the train station.

Another five minutes later, they rounded the last corner and came out on the large space between the Golden Oaks Library and the train station. Fluttershy felt a wave of relief run through her when she saw a train sitting beside the platform. She broke once more into a run, but only went a few paces when she stopped and stared in horror at what was in front of them both.

Twilight, Rainbow, Pinkie, Applejack and Rarity were standing in line, waiting to get tickets to board the train. Fluttershy squinted her eyes to make out something on them, something shiny and golden. Only when Twilight turned around to get onto the platform could the Dragonlord see what was on her head.

A large tiara, or a big crown thingy as Twilight had once called it, sat nicely on her head, showing her status as the bearer of the element of magic. Fluttershy could quickly make out the others wearing their elements, but where was hers? "Why are they wearing the Elements of Harmony?" Spike whispered as they walked closer.

"More to the point: where's mine?" Her eyes glanced over the saddlebags to see if one of them had her necklace in it, stating she was the bearer of the element of kindness. She suddenly made out the tip of her element in Twilight's saddlebags, and had to resist the urge to charge in and take it from her.

"Come on, ya'll, or we'll miss the train!" Fluttershy heard Applejack yell to the others as they got their tickets.

"I sure hope the Princess wants us there for a gathering," Rarity said as they walked through the door leading onto the platform. "She promised us one last time and it never happened."

"She said in her letter that it was extremely important, and wanted the element bearers to be there with our elements…" Twilight explained. Her voice faded out as the door closed behind them, which was a relief to Fluttershy; she didn't want to hear what they would probably go on about next.

She trotted up to the ticket pony, smiling as best she could. "Excuse me, but could I have two return tickets for Canterlot, please?" she requested. Spike looked at her in alarm.

The pony quickly gave them the tickets. Fluttershy thanked him and nimbly made her way onto the station. "Are you crazy?" Spike whispered into her ear. To Fluttershy it seemed like he was trying to hold back his temper. "We are going to run into them for sure if we take the same train!"

"Not if we sit in the opposite carriage," Fluttershy countered. At Spike's confused expression, she went on. "If they're on one end of the train, then we'll be at the other end. It's perfectly simple."

"But what if the train is full except for one carriage, and we all have to sit in that carriage? It will either be horrible or very awkward. And I definitely don't want to lie under a chair for an entire trip… again."

Fluttershy shot an eyebrow up in confusion. _'What did he mean by 'again'?_ _I'll ask him later.'_ "It won't come to that, Spike. I promise." She made it on the platform and looked up and down the small halt. She could make out Applejack's stetson above the small crowd getting into the last carriage of the train. "Come on, in this one." She galloped through the door of the first carriage, just before it closed and the guard blew his whistle, making the train set off.

Once on board, and with the train on its way, Spike jumped off Fluttershy's back and walked alongside her to one of the seats. Fluttershy couldn't help but notice he was looking down the corridor warily, as though he was expecting them to walk into the carriage. She was scared about it herself, and kept glancing down the corridor as well. "Come on," she said gently, gesturing with her head at the chair nearest to the door, "over here."

Fluttershy sat on her rump, while Spike sat by the window, gazing out of the scenery as the train left Ponyville and began its journey up the mountain towards the white city. "Do you think the Princess will help us?" Spike asked, turning his head towards Fluttershy. "Truly?"

Fluttershy shrugged. "I hope so." A pang of hope went through her. "Maybe that's why she called the Elements of Harmony up to Canterlot? Maybe she knows what is happening, and knows the only way to fix it is by using the Elements." She hoped, she _prayed_, that was true.

"But why didn't they give you your element in Ponyville?" Spike queried.

"They'll probably give it to me up at Canterlot; try and make it look like things are fine. I'll do whatever Celestia asks of us, then get some alone time with her and tell her what's been happening back in Ponyville."

A silence lingered between them for a moment, making Fluttershy believe Spike's curiosity had been sated for a while. Until he suddenly said, "What if the Princess can't fix it, because there is no problem with them to begin with?"

Fluttershy felt like she wanted to yell at him for having a lack of faith. The moment she realised she felt like that she felt horrible. It wasn't his fault that his faith was shattered. It was whatever caused Twilight to kick him out in the first place. The only way now to restore that faith would be to find out whatever caused this, and fix it.

Her mind then went to think about what Spike just said. He did have a point. What if she couldn't fix it? She shook her head to rid herself of the thought, then looked down and smiled at Spike. "She will fix it, Spike. I'm sure of it."

"Yeah, but what if she can't?"

"Then I will go across Equestria, and beyond if need be, to find someone that can. I swore to defend my friends when they can't defend themselves, and I intend to uphold my vow and do my duty."

"Vow?" Spike asked, raising both his eyebrows in puzzlement. "What vow? And what duty?"

Fluttershy opened her mouth to reply, but the feeling of the train stopping made her look up. She jumped in shock when she saw the white and golden towers of Canterlot towering over the train, and the station just beside them. They had arrived at Canterlot. "My vow and duty as a Dragonlord, Spike," she answered eventually. She pressed her face against the window and glanced to the left, waiting to see her (former) friends appear from the train and leave.

She didn't have to wait for long. They soon appeared, chatting and laughing about something, from the carriage they went in and trotted off the station and towards the palace. Fluttershy gave Spike a gentle tap on the shoulder. "This is our chance, Spike." She jumped off the couch and walked off the train, with an utterly confused dragon just behind her.

The city of Canterlot, from what Fluttershy could see, didn't seem to be affected by whatever troubled Ponyville. Most of the ponies seemed to be talking to each other nicely enough, the atmosphere of the city didn't seem as clouded as it did back home, literary and figuratively. That view changed the deeper they went into the city.

As they neared the palace, they saw more and more guards carrying out patrols across the city. Fluttershy saw a guard standing on nearly every street corner, clutching a spear around a leg and looking for any reason to use it. The pegasus stallion saw her looking and narrowed his eyes at her. Fluttershy yelped and looked away, covering her face with her long mane, while her heart raced like an arrow across the air. "What is happening around here?" Spike wondered aloud. "Surely Canterlot can't be going through the same thing as Ponyville? Can it?" He looked to Fluttershy for answers.

"I don't know, Spike," she replied, peering out of her mane to look at him, "but I would rather be in the palace right about now." She increased her speed into a canter, prompting Spike to start jogging to keep up with her. None of them noticed that the guard was beginning to follow them.

They soon made it to the gates of the palace and were waved on through without a second glance. "Right," Fluttershy sighed once they made it inside the palace and at the top of the stairs, "where would the Princess be at this time of day?" She looked down at the little dragon, who jumped when he realised she was staring at him.

"Why me?"

"Because you've helped Celestia with several things over the years," Fluttershy answered. "So you would be the best dragon to know where she would be. I would ask one of the other ponies around here, but there's something about them that I don't trust." She looked around her to see some of the guards, even some of the servants, eyeing her cautiously, like a predator would look before charging in and killing its prey.

It made Fluttershy feel like she had just made a grave mistake in coming here.

"Well let me see… hmm," Spike pondered, putting a claw under his chin, looking at the ground, and tapping his left foot. "… Hmm… aha! I know where she'll be."

"Where?"

"In the throne room," Spike answered. "About this time she'll be going through court and listening to the problems of the land and stuff like that. Yeah, I think she'll be there."

Fluttershy gestured with her head for him to jump up onto her back, which he complied without protest. "Then let's go and find her." She instantly broke into a canter down the right corridor from the stairs, knowing where the throne room was. In front of the main door, a group of eight guards blocked the palace entrance and formed a cordon, while another group of five began to follow them.

As Fluttershy cantered, she couldn't help but notice the stares she was getting from the servants, guards, and other ponies that were wandering the corridors of the palace. Her heart was beginning to pound in her chest. Sweat began to pour down her face, frightened by the sudden stares she was getting. None of them looked friendly to her, and it made her think how long would it be until she was suddenly pinned down and imprisoned for some reason. She covered her face with her mane once more and quickened her canter, feeling more eager to get to the throne room, and Celestia.

At last, allowing Fluttershy to let out a heavy sigh of relief, she made it in front of the huge doors of the throne room. Although they were closed, there were no guards to stop her from opening them. She let Spike jump off her back, then she reared up, pressed her hooves against the doors, and pushed them open slowly. The doors creaked and groaned against the pressure Fluttershy put in her hooves, nevertheless they opened, and soon she was in full view of the throne, and the pony sitting on it.

Fluttershy trotted through with her head held high, Spike just behind her, gazing at each of the guards in the room. Fluttershy noticed them too, and glanced at each. There had to be about two dozen guards in the room, all armed with spears around a leg, or the horns on their heads. Fluttershy looked at each of them with cautious eyes, then looked to the Princess.

Upon seeing the cold look she was getting from the winged unicorn, it confirmed her fear that she just made a terrible mistake in coming to Canterlot.

"Spike, stay close to me," she whispered. Spike nodded, then moved himself so that he was touching her side. Fluttershy stopped so she and the little dragon were at the first step, then both of them bowed low. "Princess Celestia," she greeted her politely. Fluttershy lifted her head up to look at her again, smiling disarmingly. "It's good to see you again, Princess."

The Princess's cold gaze disappeared, to be replaced with one of deep sadness. "Fluttershy… and Spike. I was just about to send for you, Fluttershy." She looked at the parchment in her magic, and then made it disappear with a flick of her head.

'_Maybe I was right, and Celestia does know what's happening,' _Fluttershy thought. She hoped she was right, for it didn't look it around her. She briefly wondered where Twilight and the others were presently, but it was a fleeting thought. She took a step forward and opened her mouth to speak, but stopped herself when Celestia got off the throne.

Celestia began to walk down the stairs towards the two, while two guards behind her closed the gap between them, and the others blocked off the door, cutting off any attempt to escape. "Fluttershy, for the past four years I have known you, I considered you as one of the best friends I have ever known. I have always been grateful for what you have done for me, such as mostly reforming Discord, and saving our world from extinction. You've done so much for me, as I have done for you these past two years." She now towered over the smaller pegasus, allowing Fluttershy to clearly see the tears streaming down from her ruler's eyes. "And _this_ is how you repay me?"

Celestia's horn glowed, and a scroll with a seal of Fluttershy's cutie mark appeared before them both. At once, Celestia ripped it open, and then levitated it in front of the now trembling pegasus. Fluttershy's eyes scrolled down the writing, and her eyes widened to the point they were about to bulge. She even felt her heart stop beating. She easily recognised the writing, for it was her own, but she never recalled writing the treason planned on it. _'How is this possible? How did somepony forge my own mouth writing?'_ "I… I never… Princess, you know I wou- would never…" Her voice trailed off into frightened squeaks. From the look on Celestia's face, it seemed that any defence from her would fall on deaf ears.

"Fluttershy Firewing," Celestia said, her tone in a state of sorrow, "I'm placing you under arrest for high treason against Equestria and its allied nations." Fluttershy felt her heart bang against her ribcage, threatening to burst out. "Your guilt has already been proven, and your sentence has already been approved." She turned to the two guards standing just behind her. "Freeze her, then take her to the dungeons to await her fate."

Fluttershy spun around to face them both, eyes wide in terror and disbelief. One of the guards lowered his head so his horn was pointing directly at her, glowing with golden magic. Fluttershy flung a hoof over her eyes and braced herself for whatever was going to happen.

The sound of magic leaving the horn and shooting towards her filled her ears, then the sound of it hitting something hard, followed shortly by something heavy hitting the ground. _'What just happened?'_ she thought. After a moment, she moved her hoof away from her eyes, and screamed in horror as she gazed at the paralysed body of Spike lying in front of her. His arms were stretched out wide to shield her, and his eyes wide open in horror, yet he was still as stone.

Fluttershy rushed forward to help him, but the other unicorn sent another beam of golden magic at her. It hit her square in the chest, clouding her vision in white, and making her body go stiff. Then she felt and heard nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

"Is she dead? Please tell me she isn't dead?" a voice, one Fluttershy made out as Spike's, said, seemingly echoing. Fluttershy wanted to open her eyes to assure him that she was still alive, but she couldn't open her eyes, or her mouth completely. She felt as though a blindfold had been placed over her eyes and a gag had been placed in her mouth. She silently prayed she would be able to see and speak soon.

"Rest your fears for the moment, young Spike, for she is not dead. The spell is starting to wear off. See. One of her legs is starting to twitch," another voice, one that she couldn't recognise yet sounded familiar, assured him.

"Let me try waking her up again." Although Fluttershy couldn't see, she could hear Spike kneel on the ground and lean closer to her ear. "Fluttershy? Can you hear me?" he called nervously. "Twitch a leg again if you can."

Fluttershy didn't twitch a leg. Instead, she let out a low groan, much to the relief of those around her. With whatever had held her back broken, she slowly fluttered her eyes open, to find Spike looking into her own with relief on his face. "Spike?" She shifted herself to get up from the rough floor, but Spike pushed her down gently.

"Not yet. The spell put you in a weak state," he explained. "You're gonna have to wait a while for it to fully wear off before you can stand up again."

"Spell?" Fluttershy asked confusedly, her mind in a thousand different places to fully understand what had happened. "W-what spell?"

"The spell my sister had placed on you to stop you from running anywhere," the other voice, this time Fluttershy could make out it was a mare's, explained. "It froze your body and mind in a paralysis, making you look like a statue. Rest easy, Fluttershy, for it will wear off soon."

At that, the events of what happened flooded back to the front of her mind. The meeting in the throne room, the Princess declaring her a traitor, then being shot by a golden light, and then finally everything going white. Her eyes widened in horror as she tried again to get back up. "No! I can't rest easy! I have to get out of here! I need to talk to the Princess! I need to explain that…" She trailed off as she looked around her.

She was in one of the cells of the dungeons deep below Canterlot. It was a large square, with only five rough looking beds against the walls as its main features. The floor was made of damp stone, making the cell cold and her coat stand up on end. And the only window in the cell was on the plain wooden door leading out into the corridor.

Fluttershy's eyes widened even more as she began to panic. "No, no, no, no, no, NO! I need to get out! This has all been a mistake!" Before Spike or the other pony could stop her, she got up and galloped up to the door. "Let me out!" she shouted, banging the door lightly. "I'm not a traitor!" She could feel her eyes beginning to water. "Please…" But there was nopony outside to hear her pleas; if there was, they were very quiet. She rested her head against the door and sobbed, tears flowing from her eyes like rain.

"Fluttershy?" Spike called. After heaving back another sob, Fluttershy turned to face Spike with watering eyes. She could see the terror in his eyes about what might happen to them, and she couldn't blame him for that. She was terrified herself.

She suddenly remembered seeing Spike on the ground, frozen still like a statue, after stepping in the way of the spell aimed for her. In doing what he did, she realised in horror, he had declared himself a traitor alongside her. She suddenly spun around, stormed up to him and held him by the shoulders with her hooves, glaring at him. "What were you_ thinking_? Getting in the way like that!" she said, her tone raised slightly above her usual, meek level, which terrified Spike. "You should have done _nothing_, Spike. You should have stayed out of it."

Spike shook his head. "How could I, Fluttershy? How could I just stand by and watch you get arrested for nothing? What was on that letter, anyway?"

Fluttershy sniffed back another sob. "I-I-it said that I w-was planning to create my own kingdom with all the animals of Equestria in Whitetail Wood, with me as their queen," she whimpered.

Spike blinked, looking at her incredulously. "How can Celestia accuse you of something like that? You have always been loyal to her – to her _and_ Equestria! How can she say that it was you who had written it?"

"That's the problem, Spike. The writing on the scroll was of my own, down to how I write the letter E," Fluttershy sniffed, wiping her eyes and cheeks dry. The scariest part of that letter was that Fluttershy once suffered a nightmare involving her as a queen of critters. _'Did somepony manage to find out about that nightmare, and write it down to accuse me of treason?' _Fluttershy wondered.

"Well even then it still can't be possible for you to betray Equestria!" Spike exclaimed. "It's blatantly obvious that you were framed for it, and I think I know who might have done it."

Fluttershy's ears flexed while she looked at Spike curiously. "Who?"

"There's only one pony I know who can copy your mouth writing, as well as others. Only one pony who is intelligent enough to even attempt it." He left the rest unsaid, but it didn't take long for Fluttershy to figure out who he was going on about.

Twilight Sparkle.

"No," Fluttershy whispered, shaking her head furiously. "_No_!" She veered around him to stand in the open space. "If Twilight does no longer like me, I wouldn't think she would ever take that hatred to this level!"

"To be honest, Fluttershy, with the attitude she had when I last spoke to her, I wouldn't know what she's capable of," Spike admitted. Fluttershy could tell it was hard for him to say such a thing.

"But this _is_ beyond her, Spike!" Fluttershy insisted, her eyes pleading for him to see reason. Yet a small part of her festered with doubt. Twilight was the only pony Fluttershy had confided in about the nightmare, and had helped her look past it in case it drove her mad. _'Twilight could never use that against me, could she?' _She quickly shook the thought away. _'Twilight's too nice for this. Something else is at work here.'_

"But, Fluttershy, Twilight is the only pony I know that can copy yours and everypony else's mouth writing accurately. I can't think of any other pony who can do that," Spike persisted, much to Fluttershy's annoyance.

'_He really has it in for Twilight. Then again, so would I if she had kicked me out for no apparent reason.'_ "But surely she knows we could be executed for what she wrote – _if_ she wrote it."

Spike went pale at the thought. "Executed? You mean… we're going to die?"

"I assure you two, we will not be executed. It is not our way," the mare with the soothing voice said.

Fluttershy's right ear twitched at the sound, making her spin to face whoever it was. "How do you know what's going to happen to us?"

"Because, dear Fluttershy, my sister and I created the laws and punishments against those for treason," the mare said. With that, the mare stepped into the low light, making Fluttershy see clearly who it was she was talking to.

"Princess Luna?" Fluttershy gasped, her eyes wide in surprise.

The Princess of the Night nodded curtly, smiling bravely. Luna looked weaker compared to the Princess Fluttershy remembered at the wedding reception of Cadence and Shining Armor. Her eyes were solemn, tired even. Her mane and tail, which once flowed high with the solar elements, and twinkled like starlight and space, were flowing lowly to the ground and the twinkle in her hair was now gone, as if her power was fading. Her tiara, breastplate and royal horseshoes were missing. Some of the feathers on her wings were out of place, and a large metallic ring, locked with a golden aura of magic, was attached to her horn, denying her the ability to use magic.

Fluttershy took a step forward, wanting to hug and comfort the poor pony standing in front of her, but found herself unable to. "How… how…" She looked away to clear her throat, and then looked back and said, "How can you be here?" She backed away from the Princess a little, her eyes suddenly fearful. "Are you here to torture us?" She suddenly stepped in front of Spike, spreading her wings defensively. "If you are, then leave Spike alone. I will take it all."

Luna shook her head, her eyes and face giving away her offence of the thought. "Nothing of the sort, Fluttershy. I despise torture, as does my sister. No, I'm afraid I am here for the same reason you are. I have been declared a traitor by my own sister, and thus have been sent down here to await our sentence. The same with yourselves, and my niece."

"Your niece?" Fluttershy queried, looking confused while lowering her guard. "Forgive me, but I thought you didn't have any family other than your sister. The closest relative I imagine to you would be…" Her voice trailed off and her eyes widened in horror as her mind came to the conclusion to who the other pony was. "You can't mean that…"

Luna nodded, then turned her head to look behind her. "She was brought in about three days ago, in chains by her own husband, and left down here." Fluttershy peered over Luna's shoulder, and managed to make out in the darkness the silhouette of Princess Cadence.

The Crystal Princess was lying prone on one of the beds, her head resting between her hooves and tears cascading down her cheeks. Her mane looked like a bush, and her tail fared no better. Her wings, like Luna's, had feathers sticking out of place and revealed a severe lack of preening. Her royal regalia were missing from her body. Again, like Luna, a metallic ring was attached to her horn, held in place by a golden aura of magic. Worst of all; much to Fluttershy's horror were Cadence's eyes, which stated that the mare that possessed them was mentally broken.

Tears came into Fluttershy's eyes at the sight of the Princess. Unable to bear it anymore, she forced herself to look at Luna. "What happened?" she asked.

"I can't really say, since most of what I learnt came out as sobs and such. But from what I heard, it seems her husband, Shining Armor, accused her of being a traitor. He said that she was planning to separate the Crystal Empire from the rest of Equestria, and had her arrested with this piece of paper stating such accusations. She was taken to Canterlot in chains by him and thrown in here. At the same time, I was accused of plotting to create a separate kingdom ruled by myself by my sister, and thrown in here as well."

Fluttershy's hind legs gave way and she collapsed onto her rump, her face in complete disbelief to what she had just heard. "Celestia would never believe you two wou…" she tried to say. "She wouldn't…"

"Oh, for crying out loud, she just did, Fluttershy!" Spike yelled, throwing his arms up in the air. "She just threw us in here, without proper evidence or trial, and have condemned us to whatever punishments she has for us!" A whimper escaped from Cadence, while Fluttershy shuddered in fear.

From what she had remembered at the orphanage's school, she learnt that treason in Equestria was a rare, yet most unforgivable crime a pony or another citizen of Equestria can commit. The times it had been played out have been few, but the sentences of those traitors were never recorded for some reason, which terrified Fluttershy. Although she was not afraid to die, she was afraid of whatever fate Celestia had planned for her. If it wasn't death, then what was it? Was she to be banished from Equestria forever, doomed to wander the world with a traitor's brand on her flanks and scorned for the rest of her life? Or was it something else, something far more terrifying than death or exile?

Either way, she needed to know, and the only pony she could ask was in the same cell as her. "Princess Luna?"

The Princess of the night stopped comforting Cadence for a moment and looked at the Dragonlord. "Yes, Fluttershy?"

"What's going to happen to us?" she asked. Upon seeing Luna's hesitance she added, "Please? I would feel better knowing what awaits us."

Luna, after a moment of further hesitance, nodded. "We will be taken from this place and led into the gardens, where we will stand before Celestia and the Elements of Harmony," she reluctantly explained. "There, we will be turned to stone by the Elements, and become statues in the gardens of Canterlot, doomed to listen the world go by until Celestia sees fit to have us released and 'reformed'."

Fluttershy and Spike paled beyond comprehension, while Cadence began shaking violently with terror. Luna went back to Cadence's side and began stroking her head to calm her down. Spike jumped up to Fluttershy and clung onto her tight, shaking in terror. Fluttershy quickly returned the hug, sharing Spike's fear by trembling in fright.

Encased in stone? Forever? No wonder the ponies of Equestria had no idea of the fate of traitors; if they did then there would be an outcry. It seemed to Fluttershy to be a fate that was far worse than death, to listen to the world as everypony went by, gazing at them, wondering who they once were. Only when Celestia saw fit to see them reformed, then she would be freed, and she would see a new Equestria, one unlike she had been born in.

It was something she didn't want to see. If the choice were given to her, she would gladly choose death over being turned to stone. Unfortunately, that choice wasn't given to her, unless… _'Hold on, didn't she just say we'll be turned to stone by the Elements of Harmony?'_ she asked herself.

"Princess?" Luna looked up at her. "I might have heard you wrong, but didn't you say that we will be turned to stone by the Elements of Harmony?"

Luna looked down in thought, her ears folding flat on her head as she did so, and then looked back up again. "Yes. That is usually the way we turned traitors who we thought could be redeemed into stone back in the old days."

Fluttershy looked at Luna for a long time, blinking every now and then with large rounded cyan eyes as her mind came to terms with what Luna just said. When she did, she started doing the one thing she hadn't properly done in a week.

She began to laugh.

At first, it was a fit of giggles, but then it started coming out as uncontrollable laughter. She fell off the bed and began rolling around the room, clutching her sides, while a perplexed Spike and Luna looked on.

"Uh, Fluttershy?" Spike said eventually, trying to get her to stop rolling about. "What's the point of laughing about _that_?"

"Indeed, Fluttershy," Luna agreed, "this isn't really a laughing matter."

"Oh, but it is!" Fluttershy squeaked. Once she finally managed to stop laughing, she got off the floor, a hoof against her chest as she began to regain her breath. "But you said that the Elements would be used to turn us into stone?" Luna nodded. "Well, how can they do that if _I'm_ an Element Bearer myself? I can't exactly fire the element at myself! I mean, that would be just silly!" She began to giggle again, out of joy and relief. The elements were controlled by the six of them, and could not be used by five of the six, meaning that herself, Spike, Luna and Cadence were safe.

Luna said nothing; she simply stared sadly at her for a long time. "Indeed you are, Fluttershy," Luna agreed. "And I'm so sorry of what is about to happen to you."

Fluttershy's giggles faded away as she looked into Luna's sad eyes. "What do you mean, Princess? Surely we are…" Her voice faded away, as did her grin, as she felt something wrong in her.

"Fluttershy, are you all right?" Spike asked concernedly upon seeing Fluttershy's face.

"I don't know," Fluttershy whispered with a shake of her head. She put a hoof to her chest to feel her heart slowing right down from a beat a second, to a beat every four seconds. It suddenly stopped beating altogether, making Fluttershy's eyes widen in alarm. "What's happening to me?"

Suddenly, she felt as if her heart was being pulled from its place and out of her chest. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes as pain that felt like a sword slashing down her back again coursed through her. "The Tearing has started," she heard Luna say sadly. "Spike, stay with Cadence and look away. Do not look back for any reason."

Spike, his eyes wide with fear as he watched Fluttershy trying to bear the pain, looked at Luna for a second in shock. "There must be something I can do!"

Luna shook her head. "There is nothing we can do, except be by her side. Do as I say, and stay with Cadence. Look at her, flatten your ears, and whatever you do, do not look back."

Spike reluctantly complied with the request, and then moved to face Cadence. With Spike out of the way, Luna walked up to Fluttershy and hugged her close. "Hold onto me, and don't let go," she ordered.

Fluttershy flung her forelegs around Luna's neck, screaming through gritted teeth as she felt like she was burning, only this time more slowly. "It will be quick," Luna said. "Quick, but extremely painful. Your body will feel like passing out, but no matter what, it is imperative you stay awake, Fluttershy."

"And what happens if I don't stay awake?" Fluttershy asked, her eyes wide with terror.

"Then you could die," Luna warned her. "Hold onto me now, for the last part of the Tearing is about to begin."

"I'm scared, Princess. Really, really, scared," Fluttershy rasped, holding onto her tight like a child would a mother, her crying eyes never leaving Luna's.

"Good. Stick to scared. Scared keeps you awake," Luna advised.

Fluttershy nodded, then her eyes widened in horror and she let out a shrilled gasp as she felt as though a sword had just been plunged through and up her heart. As suddenly as it came it was gone, to be replaced by a feeling of sickness working its way up her throat. "I think I'm going to throw up," she choked.

Luna pushed her upright and whispered, "Let it out. Do not fight it."

Fluttershy gagged uncontrollably as she felt something crawl up her throat, her chest beginning to rise and fall rapidly as she tried to breathe. Then suddenly, her mouth opened wide, and gasped as a cloud of bright, almost golden yellow with a slight fade of pink escaped from her open mouth. Just as the mist appeared, it was gone in a flash, leaving the room almost dark once more.

Fluttershy took a few deep breaths, and she felt her body topple over as she began to pass out. She could hear Spike sobbing in the corner with Cadence, and she saw Luna standing over her, shedding a few tears. "Is it over?" she whispered.

The last thing Fluttershy saw before passing out was Luna's curt nod.

* * *

"Fluttershy?" Spike called into her ear, making her ears twitch in response. Fluttershy groaned as her senses came on once more, and she opened her eyes. Everything ached. She felt like she had been standing in the same place for hours without moving an inch. "Oh, Fluttershy, I'm so glad you're all right now!" Spike shouted, hugging her tight while trying to sniff back tears.

Fluttershy slowly raised a hoof and patted Spike on the back. "It's okay now, Spike," she whispered delicately. "It's okay." She looked up from the baby dragon and looked around.

The first thing she realised was that she was lying on one of the rough beds that rested against the walls of the cell. The second thing was that Luna, Cadence and Spike were looking at her with a mixture of relief and sorrow.

"I'm glad to see you awake, Fluttershy," Luna greeted her whilst walking up to her. "Spike, help her sit upright; it will help her get her strength back."

Spike nodded, and then aided Fluttershy into sitting on her haunches. Fluttershy's body shook with fatigue as she sat upright, her forelegs the worst as they trembled to the point everyone in the room feared she might collapse again. Once Fluttershy was sitting upright, Spike jumped up on the bed and sat next to her, keeping a claw on her chest to keep her balanced. "Thanks, Spike," Fluttershy said weakly.

"Oh! I had almost forgotten!" Luna exclaimed. She quickly ran to the corner of the cell, then came back a moment later with a cup of what smelt like hot chocolate in her teeth. "Here, drink this. One of the guards came down with it while you were out. Just be careful, it's hot."

"He said it would help you when you awake," Spike added. "He seemed quite sympathetic for you, actually. Said that was something nopony, not even a traitor, should go through."

Fluttershy reached out with trembling hooves and accepted it quickly. "Thanks," she whispered. As she stared at it, some of the chocolate spilt out of the cup and ran down the side onto her trembling hooves. Yet she never felt a thing.

After a moment, she took a sip of the chocolate, giving Spike a reason to breath again. She felt the sweet taste of the chocolate on her tongue, but couldn't feel the extreme heat of it. _'And I never will again,'_ she thought sadly. She took it away from her mouth, and used a hoof to wipe away the drink staining her lips. "Thank you. Both of you," she said, her voice barely above her whisper.

"Shh, my dear, don't speak," Luna said with a small smile. "You are still weak from the Tearing." She gestured with her head at the chocolate in her hooves. "Drink it. It will help, I promise you that."

Fluttershy nodded, then took the cup to her mouth and gulped down the whole lot in a few seconds, to the shock of everyone in the cell. "I've never seen someone gulp down hot chocolate like that before," Spike whispered to himself. "The only one I have seen do that is… myself."

Fluttershy gasped for breath when she took it away, her chest rising and falling heavily and her legs trembling with a mix of exhaustion and terror. She had just gone through one of the worst experiences of her life, one that, she feared, may stay with her until her last day. But what did happen to her? It certainly wasn't a panic attack. She had several panic attacks before, some in the most inappropriate moments, but never did she have one like that. She wanted to know, and the only pony that knew was the Princess of the night.

She slowly lifted her head up to look at Luna, her eyes filled with fear and curiosity, and asked, "Princess Luna? What just happened to me?" Luna looked like she wasn't going to answer. "You know, Princess. I know you do. Please, tell me what happened."

Luna, after a moment of hesitance, looked up at her and nodded in confirmation. "I'm so sorry, Fluttershy, for you are a bearer of an Element of Harmony no longer," Luna stated, tears in her eyes.

Fluttershy felt her hold of the cup leave her hooves. She toppled and moved to collapse on the bed, but before she could, Spike got hold of her and set her upright. "What do you mean?" Spike asked while rubbing Fluttershy's back to calm her down, while Fluttershy breathed rapidly and heavily, incredulous to what she had just heard.

"I mean that she just had the Element of Kindness ripped from her very soul," Luna elaborated.

Fluttershy looked at her with unbelieving eyes. "How is that possible, Princess? How can I simply be no longer an Element Bearer?"

"You see, when you are chosen to become an element bearer, the spirit of the element weaves itself into your soul, making you and the element one and the same," Luna explained sullenly. "However, using ancient, yet highly powerful magic, an element's spirit can be freed from the soul of the bearer, either with force, or willingly. Unfortunately for you, Fluttershy, your 'Tearing', as the process is called, was done with force, and as such is a horrible and painful process."

Spike threw himself at Fluttershy, hugging her tight. Fluttershy quickly returned the hug, her eyes wide with terror, yet with a bout of curiosity. "Forgive me if I'm a little intrusive, Princess, but you make it sound like you've been through it yourself."

Luna nodded sadly. "I have, my dear." She took a deep breath, and then continued. "Before I became Nightmare Moon, I was the bearer of three of the elements: honesty, generosity, and loyalty, if you'd believe it." Fluttershy nodded to say she did. "When I turned against Celestia and seized control of the night as Nightmare Moon, my sister, with heavy reluctance, tried to wrestle control of the Elements from me so she could use them all, and free me. I tried to keep them, so she was forced to use the Tearing ritual to separate them from me."

She shuddered in remembrance. "I still remember the agony from that day, my own and my sister's as she tore them from me. Anyway, after my imprisonment, Celestia went through the Tearing herself, forcibly, I might add. In shame of what she did, and in grief of losing me, she gave up using the Elements and hid them in the old castle in the Everfree Forest, left dormant until those who can truly use the elements are alive."

Fluttershy tilted her head, looking at Luna with great sympathy, and understanding. Before Spike could stop her, Fluttershy jumped forward and embraced Luna in a hug. The winged unicorn was taken aback, yet quickly returned the gesture by wrapping a leg around the smaller mare. "I'm so sorry, Princess," Fluttershy whispered.

Luna chuckled. "You have no reason to apologise, dear Fluttershy," she said, pulling away. "You weren't even born when I became Nightmare Moon. So you have no fault in my downfall and shame."

"I know, I just meant it as… oh never mind," Fluttershy said quietly. She pulled back from Luna and sat back on the bed, staring at her hooves. "So, what happened to the Element of Kindness? Was it destroyed?"

"So long as there is kindness in this world, Fluttershy, then the spirit of the Element will never die. Instead, the element's spirit would have gone to the current bearer of the Element of Magic: Twilight Sparkle. There always needs to be six elements. No more, no less. So when a bearer falls or has his or her element torn away, the element's spirit will pass onto the Element of Magic, or another bearer if Magic is unavailable," Luna explained, her eyes downcast and sullen.

"So," Spike deduced, "with Twilight and the others in control of all the Elements, and nothing to protect us from being turned to stone, does that mean that we're screwed?"

"Spike!" Fluttershy shouted, looking at him angrily. "Watch your language, mister!"

"As blunt as he had put it, he was telling the truth; we are screwed." At that, Cadence began sobbing once more and her body shook in fear. Luna shot over to her and wrapped a leg around her niece's shoulders to comfort her, saying that Discord told her he had felt no pain on being turned to stone.

Spike tightened his hold on Fluttershy, while the pegasus simply stared with trembling horror at the cell door. First, her own friends have turned against her, and now Celestia herself has decreed them all traitors with little, but enough, proof. She knew instantly that whatever affected her friends affected Celestia as well, for she knew Princess Celestia would _never_ be like this. She was too kind to do this to them, and too understanding and knowledgeable to believe they would do such a thing. So what caused her to think like that?

If anything, that question, as well as the others that thrived in her head made Fluttershy more driven to get out of this mess. But how could she do that, when she was now named a traitor across Equestria? And how would she be able to escape from here, knowing that when she stepped through that door facing her, she was doomed?

She didn't know. It was as simple as that. She just didn't know how she could get out of here without being escorted out into the garden to be turned to stone.

As soon as that question came into her mind, another one cropped up. The letter. Who wrote it and why? Somepony wanted her framed; to get her out of the way for some reason, and most likely forged the same evidence that condemned Luna and Cadence as well. She couldn't – or refused to – believe Twilight would forge such things, so who?

Just then, a nasty suspicion re-appeared in her mind. What if Twilight _did_ forge those letters? She shook the thought from her head ferociously. _'Twilight is not nasty. None of them are. Something else is behind all this, and by Vidarr's wings I will find out what.' _Her eyes narrowed a little as she felt anger course its way through her._ 'And make them sorry that they harmed my friends.'_

But how was she going to do that, when she was condemned to stone? The vast questions that she could not answer were filling her head, beginning to irritate her and give her a headache. She shifted a hoof away from Spike's embrace and rubbed her forehead gently, easing the numbing pain she was feeling there. She couldn't answer all of the questions in her head, but she could at least answer a few, like Princess Celestia's sudden change in attitude, and the only pony who could answer that for her was in the room with her.

"Luna?" she said suddenly, looking up at the night Princess.

Luna turned her head around to face her, while still rubbing Cadence's back in comfort. "Yes, Fluttershy?"

"Um, would you mind if I have a quiet word with you about something, please?" Fluttershy asked. "It won't be long, I promise."

After a moment, Luna nodded. "Spike, could you look after Cadence for a moment please?"

Spike nodded. "Sure, Princess." He jumped out of Fluttershy's hold, then walked over to the other Princess and embraced her, allowing Cadence to keep on crying.

While Spike comforted Cadence, Luna followed Fluttershy to the other side of the cell. Fluttershy sat up on the bed, while Luna only sat beside it, looking at Fluttershy expectantly. "Okay, Fluttershy, what do you want to talk about?"

Fluttershy looked at her hooves for a moment, wondering whether this was such a good idea. But her mind quickly reminded her of _why_ she wanted to ask the Princess in the first place. She couldn't believe that her friends turning against her and Celestia believing them all to be traitors to be unrelated, and wanted to know about Celestia in the last week. _'Okay, Fluttershy, you can do this,' _she thought.

"Princess, I was wondering – if you don't mind, that is – if you can tell me something?"

Luna cocked her head to one side. "Like what?"

"Well, um… has Celestia been acting, sort of strange in the past week or so?" she asked eventually, drawing a circle in mid-air with a hoof.

Luna looked at her horn for a moment as she thought. "Well, unless you count being thrown in here without proper trial, then I would say she has been acting a little out of character lately."

Fluttershy's ears pinned upright; they appeared to be getting somewhere. "I hope you don't mind me asking this. But, when did these strange happenings begin?"

"Hmm," Luna pondered, rubbing her chin with a hoof. "When I noticed something was different about her, it was a Monday, at our usual lunchtime get-together."

Fluttershy's ears quickly deflated. "Oh, well, what about Sunday?"

"I don't usually see her on a Sunday," Luna answered. "I'm busy that day with my own state of affairs to carry. However, I did see her last Sunday heading to her quarters after court in the evening. I said hello, like I do, and all she replied with was a grunt. Celestia can be very grouchy when it is a bad day at court, thus I just ignored it and wished her a cheery goodnight.

"The next day, Celestia didn't say a word to me at breakfast, or at the start of lunchtime. I tried to start up conversation, like I do, but I got no response from my sister. It was nearing the end of lunchtime, where I decided to ask what's wrong. Instead of telling me, she just walked out without a thank you or a goodbye. I never felt more gutted since returning home then I did that day. On Tuesday, I was imprisoned with this evidence shown to me by Celestia herself. A day later, after sobbing my eyes out, Cadence was thrown in here on charges of treason. So, we've been stuck down here for four days crying our eyes out." She looked down at the floor for a moment, then lifted her head again and asked, "Why are you asking me all this?"

"Because it could be important," Fluttershy replied sadly. "Last Sunday, the friends that I have loved so much for the past four years suddenly turned around and said they hated me, and said they didn't want me in the group anymore. At first I was distraught, broken, by this. I did my best to carry on and live without them, but I couldn't do it. I just missed them so much.

"Anyway, earlier today, Spike came over and said Twilight kicked him out, saying he wasn't needed anymore. It was that moment, Princess, when I realised something was wrong."

"Wrong? What do you mean, wrong?" Luna asked confusedly.

"I mean that something has happened to them all, Princess. Something to make them all act this way. I fear something has happened to your sister as well, Princess, and I won't rest until I find out what."

After a moment of silence, Luna sighed. "Fluttershy, you are a sweet mare, and I appreciate you wanting to help my sister. But I don't think there is anything you can do to help Celestia. I fear that being a ruler of a country on her own for a thousand years has taken its toll on her sanity, as well as other things. I fear that only now she has finally lost it."

Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion. "You think that Celestia has gone… insane?"

Luna nodded sadly. "To be honest, I should have expected it sooner or later. Such a long life like what she's been through can't be good on a pony's mind. Only a crazy pony could forge evidence like what has brought us into this situation. A crazy pony, as much as it pains me to say it, like my sister."

Fluttershy stared at Luna disbelievingly. "Then what about my friends, Princess? How is it they turned against me and Spike at the same time your sister turns against you?"

"Coincidence, Fluttershy. That's all it is," Luna answered.

Fluttershy shook her head nimbly in disbelief. "I _can't _believe that. I refuse to believe that those that we once loved would have forged such evidence against us." She jumped off the bed, and began to pace in the open space between Luna, Cadence and Spike. "It just doesn't make any sense. I'm sorry, but it doesn't. Why would Celestia suddenly turn insane now when you have returned to help her rule again? And at the same time as my friends turning against me, and everypony else starting to dislike each other?"

"You refuse to believe with your own eyes that Celestia has gone mad?" Luna enquired.

Fluttershy stopped pacing, and brought her head up to look at Luna, her gaze narrow. "Yes. I refuse to believe it. Princess Celestia is a strong ruler with a strong mind and soul. I can't believe that she would fall low like she did."

Behind her, Spike groaned. "Oh, come to your senses, Fluttershy! Can you not see it? She, and Twilight and the others now hate us, and want us out of the way. That's why one or all of them framed us. To get us out of the way."

Fluttershy spun around to face Spike with a glare. She moved to reprimand him, but suddenly stopped, hating herself all of a sudden. What would yelling at him accomplish? It would certainly not convince him otherwise, neither would it make things any easier than they were. She had a look around, and could quickly see from the looks of the others that she was alone in her belief, and it infuriated her. She put her head in her hooves and groaned. "What will it take to convince you all?" she muttered aloud, intending it to be unheard, yet everypony heard it anyway.

"I do not think there is any other way you can convince us," Luna said sadly.

Fluttershy took her head out of her hooves to say something to Luna. She closed her mouth upon looking into the Princess's eyes. They no longer contained the strength she had once seen in them once. Instead they contained the shattered remnants of a heartbroken mare, a mare she could sympathise with. For the past week she had felt the same way, before she had smashed down the wall and saw the truth. Just because she had broken through the wall didn't mean that the others have, too. "We'll see," she said eventually, smiling warmly.

Luna opened her mouth to speak, but looked up and paled when she heard the cell door unlocking. "It's time," she whispered fearfully.

Fluttershy backed away from Luna and the cell door as it opened with a screech. From the door, five unicorn guards emerged, with three holding leg and wing cuffs in magic floating above their heads, while a forth came with claw cuffs and a fire-proof muzzle.

"Get them up and out into the gardens," the fifth unicorn ordered, rather reluctantly by the tone of his voice. "The Princess and the Element Bearers are waiting for them."

Fluttershy backed away from the guards; her face etched into fear as they made their way through the door, spread themselves out and began to close in on the four prisoners. Fluttershy felt her rump press against the wall of the cell, and watched with fear as a unicorn guard walked slowly up to her with leg and wing cuffs held by magic.

"No!" Spike screamed as he attempted to escape the hold of the guards. "I'm too young to get stoned! Please don–" He was cut off when he was picked up by magic, and had a fireproof muzzle attached to his face.

"Leave him alone!" Fluttershy screamed, frightened but feeling angry as well. "Take that thing off him, now!"

"I'm sorry, but the Princess insisted on it," the guard holding Spike said to her, although not looking at her face in fear of bringing shame on himself.

Fluttershy looked from the guard holding Spike, to the one approaching her. "I'm sorry," he whispered sincerely as she stopped right in front of her. "I wish there was a better way than this."

Fluttershy looked at him in the eyes, and saw the sheer hatred for himself burning in them. "So do I," Fluttershy whispered in response. She took a deep breath, then let it out again as she felt her trouble, fears, loves, and everything else that had weighed her down over the years leave her. She suddenly felt at peace. She sat on her haunches, and lifted up her forelegs for the unicorn to slap the leg cuffs on. "Not too tight, please," she requested. "My body bruises quite easily."

The unicorn nodded, and quickly slapped the leg cuffs on, tight enough for them not to slip off, yet loose enough not to hurt. For that small mercy Fluttershy was grateful. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to stick this on as well," the guard said, showing a large metallic clamp that resembled a harness she had seen Applejack's brother wear.

Fluttershy nodded, then stepped forward quickly and turned to the side so the guard could attach it to her. He did so with little difficulty. She could feel her wings instinctively trying to spread out and get rid of whatever held them at her sides, but to no avail. The clamp felt heavy on her back, and it felt like it was pressing against her sides, suffocating her. Yet it was bearable, much to Fluttershy's relief. By the time the wing clamp was on, the four of them were cuffed and ready to be taken outside.

"Come on then, let's get this over and done with so I can drink this out of my memory," the unicorn captain said, turning around.

Fluttershy looked to the guard, who gestured with his head to move. Not wanting to argue, Fluttershy began to walk forward, the chains on her forelegs rattling as she walked. "Take it slowly," the guard beside her advised. "You could trip up on the chains."

"Thank you," she whispered. Behind her, Luna was pushed forward by her guard, while Cadence submissively walked on, too scared to protest. Spike, however, was floated above his guard, his eyes wide with fear.

Fluttershy was soon out of the cell, and standing in the corridor. To the right of her, the corridor passed more cells, before stopping at the steps of a flight of stairs that spiralled up into the palace. To the left, the corridor went past more cells, while at the end was a small door with a golden unicorn's head on the front.

And much to Fluttershy's relief, she was led left. _'Thankfully we won't be humiliated by walking through the castle,' _Fluttershy thought as they walked down the corridor in a sullen silence, save for Cadence sniffing back tears of pain.

"Captain, permission to express how deeply wrong I think this is?" the guard next to her asked.

The captain looked back at him with sympathetic eyes. "As much as I like to hear it, son, permission denied," he answered.

"But I'm not the only one who thinks it, sir," the guard continued, pointing to some of the others down in the cells. "I know they're traitors, sir, and deserve to be punished. But this… this just seems too extreme."

The captain swung his head back around to face the guard, his face stating his growing annoyance on the subject. "Yes, it is a bit extreme, and I know there are others who think they deserve something less extreme. But I also know that around half of the guard believe they deserve something far worse." Fluttershy felt her heart stop beating at the thought of so many ponies hating her. "And these are the Princess's orders, private," the captain reminded him, "and like it or not, we were trained to follow them. Besides, Discord was turned to stone, twice I might add, and nopony morally questioned that as far as I am aware. Nopony even battered an eyelid about it. Now cease talking and open the door."

The private reluctantly nodded, then left Fluttershy's side to open the door in front of them. Fluttershy walked slowly up to the door, then stopped and waited for the door to open with her head held high and her eyes narrow. She will not show fear in front of them. To do so would make whatever controlled Celestia and her friends win. Yet deep down, she could her heart beating rapidly and her body burning with fear.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and the light of the sun blinded Fluttershy, forcing her to close her eyes and lower her head. She blinked a few times so that her eyes could get used to the sun, and once they did, her eyes widened.

A large hedge wall encircled the area of the featureless garden, disallowing any ponies the chance to see what was being done here. Around the edge of the garden, royal guards ponies of unicorns and pegasi stood in silence, their faces emotionless and their gazes unmovable. And at the centre of the garden, Celestia stood behind the five bearers of the Elements of Harmony, who stood in a line, in the central green with a pebble path running around it, who looked their way with gazes of contempt.

"Come on, keep moving," the captain ordered. Fluttershy quickly complied, and moved out of the way of the door and into the garden. Unlike the other times she had been here, she felt the softness of the grass beneath her hooves, the sweet freshness of the air, and the raw beauty of the life that the gardens emanated.

'_Probably,' _she realised,_ 'because I won't be seeing this place for a long, long time.'_

"Halt," the captain ordered. At once, Fluttershy stopped, while Spike was placed next to her, with Luna and Cadence placed alongside him.

For a moment, all was still. The wind stopped blowing, the birds stopped singing, and some began to take flight and leave the city as though they knew what was coming. Fluttershy glanced around her to see guards gazing at the four of them with either looks of disgust, contempt, or sympathy. Fluttershy felt her heart get twisted with every gaze that looked like to be one of hate. She looked down at Spike, to hear him whimpering with fear through the muzzle clamped to him. "Be brave, Spike," Fluttershy whispered. She wished she could follow her own advice this time.

"Fluttershy Firewing!" Celestia called over to them. "Step before us!"

Fluttershy looked over to Celestia, and nodded. With her head raised high, she began the short walk forward, to the spot she reckoned she won't be leaving till Celestia saw fit to have her released. _'What will Equestria look like in a few hundred years?' _she wondered. _'Will it even exist? Will I be remembered, either as a traitor, or a bearer to an Element of Harmony?' _Although seeing Equestria in the future was intriguing, it was still something she didn't want to see. Besides, how long will she be encased in stone. A hundred years? A thousand? Ten thousand? A million? It terrified her to not know how long she would be trapped here.

"Stop!" Celestia suddenly commanded. Instantly, Fluttershy stopped, then turned around to face her ruler, and her former friends. Her eyes moved to Twilight, and the crown that now fully encircled her head, with five spikes running around it and a five pointed star on its face. Fluttershy quickly looked from her to Rainbow, then Applejack, then Rarity, and finally Pinkie…

She had to smile at the sight of the pink earth pony, and the large, evil-pony moustache that was stuck on her face. _'Only Pinkie Pie could do something like that,'_ she thought. But as she looked closer at the mare, she could see something that shocked her, and broke her heart once again.

Pinkie Pie was crying.

Tears were streaming down her face like a waterfall, yet her look showed no signs of her ever doing it. She looked closely at the others and saw that they, despite the glares of hate coming towards her, were crying just as hard. _'They _are_ being forced to do this,' _she realised. Her mind suddenly raced with thoughts and images of her five friends screaming out in their minds, trying to break away from whatever forced them to do these things, yet somehow couldn't control themselves. They were being used and toyed with like puppets on a string, and Fluttershy felt despair as she didn't have a way to cut the strings. _'I'm so sorry, my friends. I am so sorry I couldn't save you,'_ she thought despairingly.

"Before your punishment is carried out, is there any last words that you wish to share with us before your imprisonment?" Celestia asked harshly, as though she was impatient with this.

Fluttershy looked up at Celestia, and her eyes widened when she saw the tears pouring from the winged unicorn's eyes. Whatever pain her friends were in, it seemed nothing compared to the sheer agony she could see in Celestia's eyes. _'I forgive you, Celestia,'_ she thought. _'I promise you that when I get out, I will find whatever forced you to do this, and make them pay.' _

"Just do it," she said. She bowed her head swiftly, and tensed her body as she prepared herself for what may happen. She hoped it wasn't painful. It didn't seem that way from how Discord acted just after he was released once more. Yet it could be different depending on who the Elements were fired at.

She looked up once more to see Twilight lowering her head, and her horn lighting up in its magenta glow, as she prepared to harness the power of the Elements. Just then, she noticed something above Twilight's head, something moving towards them at quite a speed, and something very large.

She squinted her eyes to make out the thing, and when she did, her heart almost jumped in joy at the sight of it.

"Um, actually, would you mind if you hold it for a moment, please? I do have something to say. Sorry if I'm holding you up or anything," Fluttershy said, raising her hooves up as best she could to stop them.

For a moment, Twilight's horn continued to glow with intensity, making Fluttershy fear they would never stop. Thankfully, after a groan, Twilight's horn stopped glowing and she looked up again, glaring at Fluttershy, even as tears swept down her face.

"Very well," Celestia relented. "Let us hear your final words of mercy."

'_I doubt you will show any, whoever you are,'_ Fluttershy thought. "Thank you," she said kindly. She quickly reared up, and gestured with her forelegs in a downward swoop whilst saying, "Duck."

The six ponies glanced at each other, incredibly confused. Fluttershy quickly glanced at her fellow prisoners, and saw the confusion in their faces as well of the odd request. She smiled at them, and gave them a wink of assurance.

"What exactly do you mean by 'duck'?" Rarity enquired.

"Maybe she wants a duck with her whilst she's encased in stone?" Pinkie suggested. "Let's go get her a duck. Come on, it's going to get pretty lonely for her, after all."

"Where exactly are we gonna get a duck at this time of day?" Applejack queried, looking at Pinkie with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm sure we can find one at a pond somewhere," Pinkie answered. "One who is willing enough to be encased in stone as well."

"I don't think you're going to find a duck who is willing to be turned to stone, Pinkie," Rainbow reasoned.

"At least we can try," Pinkie said persistently.

"Oh, for crying out loud, we're not giving her a duck!" Twilight bellowed. "We're wasting time here. Let's finish with this traitorous cow so we can get on with the others." Twilight lowered her horn once more and prepared to fire up the Elements.

"Hold on," Fluttershy interrupted again, looking up every now and then.

Twilight's horn stopped glowing once more. "Oh, what is it now?" she yelled, growing visibly annoyed.

"No, um, I didn't mean duck as in I would like a duck. I meant 'duck' as in get down; take cover, prostrate yourself to the ground, that sort of thing. I mean, if you want to, of course, I can't exactly force you all to do something."

"Oh," the six ponies chimed, nodding in understanding at each other. That understanding quickly returned to confusion.

"What do you mean, take cover?" Celestia demanded. She broke away from the Element Bearers and strode nimbly towards Fluttershy with a look of venom. Fluttershy, surprisingly, even to herself, stood her ground, looking at the Princess with a sweet, innocent smile. "And take cover from what, exactly?"

"From the dragon," Fluttershy answered.

"What dragon?"

"That dragon," Fluttershy replied, pointing behind her.

Celestia turned her head around, and gasped in horror at the large yellow dragon with a black mane and black spikes and a creamy underbelly flying towards them, his mouth wide open and ready to spit fire.

Celestia spun her body around to face him, but before she could power up her horn, the dragon breathed fire between the Element Bearers and the Princess, cutting them off from each other. The dragon flew away from the garden, then spun around and moved to hover above the ponies, looking at the scene before him with sadness and disgust.

"Vidarr," Fluttershy whispered, tears of joy in her eyes at the sight of a friend and the only kin she had left.

Vidarr swept a claw across the air, making the flames rise high into the air and envelop the element bearers in a ball of flame. That wall of flame suddenly surrounded the prisoners, Celestia, and Fluttershy, cutting them off from the guards around the gardens.

He looked down at Fluttershy and her fellow prisoners, and clenched his claw together. Fluttershy looked down at her hooves to see her leg cuffs blazing white with heat, before melting and disappearing altogether. The same went with her wing clamp; it burned white and melted into nothingness. She looked at Luna, Spike and Cadence, and sighed in relief when she saw the bonds on them blazed white, and then melted as well, freeing them.

"No!" Celestia yelled. Her horn suddenly lit up with golden light, and aimed it at Luna and Cadence, intending to strike them down. Fluttershy's eyes widened in horror, yet she felt pain for Celestia as she could see the Princess's crying eye twitch, as though the real Celestia was fighting against what controlled her.

'_Come on, Celestia, I know you can fight it. You're stronger than anything!' _Fluttershy thought pleadingly.

Yet despite the Princess's strength, it appeared it wasn't enough.

A blast of golden magic shot out of Celestia's horn, and hurtled towards them like a meteorite. The two former Princesses powered up their horns to form a shield to defend themselves, yet the blast was coming at them too quickly, and they were weak after four days of imprisonment. Their horns stopped glowing, and the two bowed their heads and waited for the end.

It was not to be.

Vidarr jetted out a burst of flame from his mouth onto the orb, disintegrating it before they could feel the heat from it. He tucked his wings to his sides, and then dived to the ground, landing in between Celestia and Luna, Cadence and Spike, who stared at him with awe and relief. "**Kom deg bak meg, Fluttershy Ildvinge** (Get behind me, Fluttershy Firewing)!" he commanded to the Dragonlord in Dragonian.

Fluttershy hastily galloped from the spot she was frozen to a moment ago, to stand behind the great dragon, shaking in fright. She quickly glanced at the wall of flame to see if her friends were okay, and sure enough they were.

Vidarr gave Fluttershy a curt nod as she ran past him, and then turned to face the Princess of the sun. "Celestia Solaris," Vidarr greeted the Princess, curtly bowing his head.

"Vidarr," Celestia sneered, her teeth snarling with rage, even as tears poured from her eyes. For only a few seconds, but what seemed like to Fluttershy hours, the two ancient beings stood gazing at each other, pondering on who would make the first move, or what should happen next.

'_Please don't fight, please don't fight, please don't fight,' _Fluttershy pleaded desperately in thought. If those two did fight, she figured, then only one would come away alive, and Fluttershy wanted both to stay alive.

"It has been a long time, my old friend," Vidarr said while using his tail to shield Fluttershy, Luna, Cadence and Spike. Fluttershy reared up, pressed her hooves against the dragon's tail, and craned her neck just to see what was going on.

"Indeed it has, Vidarr," Celestia agreed. "Too long. The last time I saw you was just after I had banished my sister for the first time. So tell me, why do you appear now, before these traitors?" she asked, gesturing with a hoof at the ponies hiding behind Vidarr's tail.

"Because I cannot allow you to do what you intend to them, Princess," Vidarr said. "They are innocent of the charges you have brought against them."

"_Innocent_? How can they be innocent?" Celestia yelled, taking a step closer to the dragon. "The proof has already been discovered and confirmed by _their_ own writing!"

Vidarr glanced to Fluttershy for confirmation of this. The only response he got back was a little nod. "**Du vet jeg aldri ville skrive noe slik, ikke sant** (You know I, or any of us, would never write anything like that, don't you)?" Fluttershy whispered in Dragonian.

Vidarr gave Fluttershy an assuring smile. "**Jeg vet** (I know)," he whispered. He turned back to Celestia. "Even if they are guilty of the charges you laid against them – which they aren't – the punishment of traitors being turned to stone is considered too harsh, according to the laws of Equestria; laws, that _you_ created."

Luna shot her head up over Vidarr's tail to look at Celestia in shock. Fluttershy could practically hear the Night Princess's heart being crushed some more. "Tia? Is this true?"

"You mean she never told you?" Vidarr asked, twisting his head to gaze at Luna. "The punishment of ponies or other creatures being turned to stone for treason was abolished about two hundred years after your imprisonment in the moon for the sheer barbarity it is."

Luna looked crushed, giving Fluttershy the urge to want to hug her and comfort her. "Why did you never tell me?" Luna whispered, though loud enough for Celestia to hear.

"Oh, do you need me to hold your hoof all of the time?" Celestia snapped, making Luna flinch back. "I have the whole library here with books full of Equestrian laws and customs and such. But did you ever look at one? No! You would rather stay in the palace for a year of sulking! And when you do decide to go out and see Equestria you think that everything would be just the same! I have far better things to tend to then having to deal with a pathetic excuse for a sister!"

Fluttershy felt her own heart break when she saw the devastation in Luna's eyes, and felt a great amount of sympathy for Celestia as well. She could see in the Princess's eyes that she was in agony with every spiteful word that was forced out of her mouth.

"Now I see, Celestia Solaris," Vidarr said suddenly. "Now I see that something is truly wrong here." He pointed a finger at her. "You are _not_ the Celestia Solaris I remember. The pony who cried for hours with me at her side as I tried to comfort her from what she did to Luna Nocturnus Solaris. The kind, generous, honest, funny Celestia Solaris I remember is _not_ what I see standing before me."

He took a step closer to Celestia, his eyes sympathetic and pleading. "Whatever has happened to you, Celestia Solaris, you can fight it. I know you are trying now, by the tears that run down your cheeks. Reach out to me, Celestia Solaris, and break from whatever has affected you." He lifted up a claw for her to take, hoping the simple gesture would help her battle for control.

Celestia wiped her eyes, yet the tears continued to pour. "There is nothing wrong with me, Vidarr. I have just opened my eyes, and seen my sister, niece and Fluttershy for what they truly are." She closed her eyes and her horn began to glow a bright golden once more. "And if you don't stand aside, Vidarr, you will join them in their punishment."

Vidarr pulled his claw back, and sighed sadly when he saw that it wouldn't work. "Do you really think your magic is any good against me? You may be strong in magic, Celestia Solaris, but I'm stronger."

Celestia grinned. "We'll see." She let out a cry of rage, and from her horn a large beam of golden light shot its way towards Vidarr.

The dragon, however, was prepared. A second before the beam could hit him, he casually brought up his claw, and deflected the beam back at her. Celestia's eyes widened as the beam landed in front of her then began to encircle her like the spell Vidarr used on the Element Bearers. "I hope you are in there, Celestia Solaris," Vidarr said demurely. "If you can hear me, then I pray you will forgive me."

The cry of rage from Celestia was lost as the beam of golden light enveloped her. Vidarr let out a sad sigh, and then turned to the four hiding behind his tail. "Let us get away from here."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. "And not a moment too soon," Spike said, tugging at her tail. "Look!"

Fluttershy turned around, and gasped in horror as a whole legion of pegasi and unicorn guards appeared from the palace and garden entrances, charging towards them. "Quickly! All of you!" Vidarr shouted. "Onto my back!"

At once, Cadence, Luna, Spike and Fluttershy leapt onto the palm of his claw, then sprinted across his foreleg and onto his back. "Wait a second, where should we go?" Spike asked.

"South!" Fluttershy cried instantly, her eyes wide and her voice sounding like she was panicking. "Just head south, now! Go!"

Vidarr looked hesitant, but complied nonetheless. He spread his wings, and with a mighty thrust towards the ground, sending several unicorns coming towards them to the ground, he burst into the air, and was quickly away from Canterlot and flying south at a speed no pegasi could match.

As they flew away, Fluttershy looked back to see the fire shield that surrounded Twilight and the others break apart, and they could only watch as Vidarr flew far away. She could see Rainbow about to fly after them, but Applejack held her back by the tail. A few seconds later, the spell around Celestia broke, and she too could only watch and scream with fury as they became nothing but a dot in the distance.

Fluttershy watched as the city of Canterlot began to grow smaller behind them, until they were far away, and not being pursued. Fluttershy felt her legs give way, and she fell onto her back, and began to laugh in joyous relief.

Despite the odds, they were free once again – at least for now.

"**Du plukket et godt tidspunkt, Vidarr** (You picked some good timing, Vidarr)!" Fluttershy called as she got up and trotted towards his ears.

The dragon chuckled. "**Jeg prøver** (I try)," he said, glancing upwards to see Fluttershy. "**Det er godt å se deg igjen, Fluttershy Ildvinge. Det har vært alt for lenge siden** (It is good to see you again, Fluttershy Firewing. It has been far too long)."

"**Jeg skulle ønske jeg kunne si det samme om deg, Vidarr. Men jeg kan ikke, for jeg vet hva ditt egentlige hensikt er. Jeg må ta til våpen igjen, ikke sant** (I wish I could say it was good to see you too, Vidarr. But I can't, for I know what your presence here means. I'm to take up arms again, aren't I)?" she asked heavily.

"**Hvordan vet du at jeg ikke hadde kommet hele denne veien for en kopp te og en fin prat** (How do you know I haven't just come this way for a spot of tea with you and a nice chat)?" Vidarr teased, smirking. "**Jeg har hørt du har noen av de beste sortene av te rundt i området **(I hear you have some of the best tea around)."

Fluttershy laughed. "**Jeg tror ikke jeg har en stor nok kopp for deg, Vidarr, eller en stor nok te-pose** (I don't think I have a big enough cup for you to have, Vidarr, nor would I find a big enough tea bag)."

"**Jeg er sikker på at vi kunne improvisere** (I'm sure we could have improvised)," Vidarr responded, chuckling. The chuckling died away, as did his smile. "**Men jeg er redd du snakket sant, Fluttershy Ildvinge. Det virker som om du må ta til våpen igjen, som jeg fryktet du måtte gjøre** (But I am afraid you speak the truth, Fluttershy Firewing. It appears you must take arms once again, as I feared you would)."

Fluttershy felt the colour drain from her face, and she let out a heavy sigh. "**Jeg har fryktet denne dagen for de siste to årene, Vidarr** (I have been dreading this day for the past two years, Vidarr)," she said sadly. "**Men jeg trodde alltid du ville komme foran min dør og si at jeg måtte dra et annet sted. Jeg ville aldri ha sett for meg at jeg skulle løpe fra mine venner** (I always thought you would turn up at my doorstep, saying that I was needed elsewhere. I never would have imagined it would be like this; running from those I once called my friends)."

"**Jeg så det ikke heller** (Neither did I)," Vidarr said. "**Jeg tror at ingen forutså denne galskapen. Men vi kan ikke beskymre oss for det nå. Vi må bringe alle dere til sikkerhet** (I don't think anyone could have predicted this madness. But we cannot worry about what has occurred presently. We must first get all of you to safety)."

"**Før vi gjør det, kan vi rask stoppe ved min hytte, værsånill** (Before we do that, could we stop by at my cottage quickly, please)?" Fluttershy requested. "**Det er noe ting jeg må få tak i** (There are some things I have to get)."

Vidarr nodded, for he understood what Fluttershy intended to get. "**Selfølgelig** (Of course)," he replied. Fluttershy nodded her thanks, and then looked back at the others on his back.

Luna was holding tightly onto Cadence, who was still crying, while Spike sat in silence with his arms crossed and looking at her hauntingly. "Tell us, Vidarr, my old friend!" Luna called, a small smile on her face, which pleased Fluttershy. "How did you know of our danger?"

Vidarr looked back at his old friend with sullen eyes. "The news of your imprisonment has spread fast across Equestria, and beyond, Luna Nocturnus Solaris, and yours too, Mi Amora Cadenza. I rushed into Equestria to talk to Celestia Solaris and get her to see reason, but then word reached my ears of the accusations of you, Fluttershy Firewing.

"Alarmed, I raced over to the place of your residence, only to find it deserted with only a single white doe rabbit outside. I quickly realised you were in Canterlot, so I raced over to the city as fast as my wings could take me. The rest you have seen."

Luna's small smile vanished. "So our imprisonment is known elsewhere?"

"I'm afraid so," Vidarr answered with a nod. "Many nations are aware of your plights, and are just as confused as to what brought this about. Some say your sister has finally gone mad, others are that she is dead and a tyrant has taken over. Some are even preparing themselves for war. Either way, storm clouds are gathering over Equestria, Luna Nocturnus Solaris, and we must all be ready." Vidarr turned his head around, and looked down as Ponyville appeared below him.

"Hold on!" he warned to the ponies and dragon on his back. With that warning, he dived straight down.

"Why are we going to Ponyville?" Luna demanded, confused and frightened about the possibility of staying there. "Surely we must continue fleeing!"

"We will!" Fluttershy promised, holding onto one of Vidarr's spikes for dear life as he dived. "I just need to pick up some stuff at my cottage first!" She breathed a little better when Vidarr veered up and slowed down as they approached Fluttershy's home.

Fluttershy looked at her home with sadness, for she knew it could be the last time she would ever see her home. _'No!' _She shook the thought away. _'I will see it again. By Vidarr's wings I will see my home again after this day.' _

Vidarr landed on the road in front of the little bridge, and lowered his head so Fluttershy could jump off. "Spike, could you give me some assistance please? I need your help with something," Fluttershy requested.

Spike looked confused at her, as though he was looking at someone he didn't know. _'Why's he looking at me like that for?' _she wondered. Her eyes widened as an answer came into her mind. _'Does he even know what I am? Did Twilight ever tell him what happened in Horsca?' _The gormless look on Spike's face answered that for her.

"Sure, Fluttershy," Spike said tiredly as he loosened his grip from Vidarr's back. "I'll help you."

Fluttershy smiled at him in thanks, then jumped off Vidarr's back with Spike close behind. "**Hvis du ser vaktene fra Canterlot komme denne veien, dra** (If you see guards from Canterlot coming this way, just go)," Fluttershy said, looking at Vidarr with serious eyes. "**Ikke vent for oss. Vi vil prøve å miste dem i Everfree Forest** (Don't wait for us. We'll try to lose them in the Everfree Forest)."

Vidarr reluctantly nodded. "**Jeg skal gjøre som du sier, Drageherre** (I will do as you ask, Dragonlord)."

"Thank you," Fluttershy said, and then galloped over her bridge, with Spike running after her.

"Okay, Fluttershy," Spike said as they slowed down to a walk as they approached the front door. "You have some explaining to do. Firstly, why on earth are you friends with a _dragon_?"

"I'm a friend with you, aren't I?" Fluttershy pointed out.

"Yes, but from your own words, and from what Twilight told me, I'm not a huge, gigantic, terrifying, enormous, teeth-gnashing, sharp-scale having, horn-wearing, smoke-snoring, could eat a pony in one bite, totally all grown-up dragon!" Spike reminded her.

Fluttershy looked up at Vidarr, who stared back at her with a raised eyebrow, and blushed, grinning sheepishly. "Yes, well, Vidarr is different to most dragons." She reared up and unlocked the door.

"How is he different to most dragons?" Spike queried.

"Because he knew my father," Fluttershy muttered in response. "And if my father trusted him, then so shall I." She opened the door and stepped inside her home for what could be the last time.

She stopped for a moment, and breathed in the scent of her home. It smelt like the first days of spring, with the sweet aroma of the first flowers as they bloomed in the meadows, and the smell of new life. Fluttershy's ears flattened as she looked around for her animal friends, yet couldn't find even one. _'Probably got scared off by Vidarr,'_ she realised. She didn't blame them for that. She too would run away when a fully-grown dragon would land outside the door.

Her ears suddenly picked up the sound of ponies whimpering in the kitchen, and walked slowly over to investigate. "Hello?" she called. "Who's there?"

Three familiar faces appeared from behind the kitchen, making Fluttershy jump a little at the sight of them. "Fluttershy!" Sweetie Belle, Applebloom and Scootaloo cried. They raced over and jumped her in a hug, surprisingly glad to see her.

"Girls? What're you all doing here?" she asked as she pulled away from them.

"We were wonderin' if we could stay here with ya for a few days," Applebloom explained. "Applejack is being a straight up meanie with us, so much that the rest of us decided to head up to Manehatten. I would have gone, but these lot made me decide to stay behind."

"And Rarity has just got worse and worse over the week. I can't stand being in the same room as her anymore," Sweetie Belle added.

"So they found me and explained their problem, where I told them I was having the same problem as well. My parents have been doing nothing but arguing for the past week, and I can't stand it anymore. We would have gone to the clubhouse, but we quickly realised that anypony looking for us would look there first. So we came here," Scootaloo finished.

"So, could we stay with you… please?" the three girls asked together, drawing out their bottom lips and giving Fluttershy the biggest eyes she had ever seen.

Fluttershy tilted her head and smiled warmly at them. "Even if I had a colder heart, I still couldn't say no to your faces," she said. "Of course you can stay, but… I'm sorry, girls, but I can't stay here with you."

The three young fillies looked devastated. "Why not?" Scootaloo asked.

"It's important that I go," Fluttershy replied. "I can't really explain why, but I must." She brought the three of them in a quick hug. "Look after the place for me, won't you? Take care of yourselves, and I'll see you all when I get back." _'If I get back.'_

With all she needed to say said, she broke away from the three fillies and raced upstairs, with Spike in tow.

"And another thing," Spike said suddenly as they walked into Fluttershy's bedroom, "what kind of language were you and that dragon speaking in? It sounded familiar to the one you spoke to me that day after you woke up a month after that dragon attack."

Fluttershy lowered herself onto her stomach, and carefully felt around her floorboards for the one that was detachable. She grinned to herself when she found one that sounded lighter than the others. She sat upright, then carefully and precisely, lifted the floorboard out from its place, and looked in.

Spike stood beside her, and gaped inside. "What's in there?"

Inside the hole was a large brown sack, tied neatly at the end with a piece of string. Fluttershy pulled the sack out of the hole, and placed it beside her, then opened it up. "These," she answered, taking one of the items out and revealing it to Spike, who gasped in wonder.

In Fluttershy's hooves was a bracelet that lengthened from the bottom of Fluttershy's knee to the top of her pastern, allowing her to use her hooves flexibly as though she never had it. On the face of it was the golden head of a unicorn pony, while at one end was a small slit for something to poke out from, while the other was what resembled a hilt of a sword. While below the bracelet were straps that loosened or tightened magically depending on who was carrying it.

"What is it?" Spike asked, staring at it in wondrous awe.

Fluttershy slotted the bracelet onto her left leg, which fitted nicely around her cannon, and felt like it wasn't there at all. Then, with a sudden yelp from Spike, Fluttershy lifted up her leg, flexed her hoof back, and let the two-foot sword shoot out of it and point into the air.

Fluttershy looked at _Firewing_ with sad, heavy eyes. "**Det er tid til å bli brukt igjen, Ildvinge** (Time to be used again, Firewing)," she said in Dragonian. She pulled her hoof away from her, and let _Firewing_ crawl back in, singing mournfully as it disappeared. With _Firewing_ away, it was time to take the other one out.

Fluttershy dived her hooves into the sack, and pulled out another bracelet a second later. This one looked worn and battered, and didn't have a unicorn head on it, but it did have a hilt that resembled a sword's at the end. Fluttershy quickly attached that onto her right leg, and then flicked her hoof back, and let the blade of _Drage Bane_ shoot out quick, then let it back in again. _'I'm wasting too much time here,'_ she thought. _'We need to get back to Vidarr as soon as possible.'_

However, she knew she couldn't yet, for there were two more things to be attached to her before they could leave.

She lifted the last two things out of the sack, and showed them to Spike. "Could you help me with these, please, Spike?" Fluttershy asked. "I mean, if you want to, of course."

Spike nodded, though he stared at her as if he well and truly didn't know her anymore. "Why do you need those?" he asked fearfully, pointing at what was in Fluttershy's hooves.

In her hooves were two sets of six small dagger-like blades, with small slits in each for a feather to fit in, and connected together by a thin piece of wire of some sort. "Because I have to, Spike," Fluttershy answered regretfully, stretching her leg out for Spike to get hold of them and fit them on. "My friends are in danger, and I have to take up arms again, as I promised I would two years ago."

Spike took hold of the blades, and then watched as Fluttershy stretched out her wings, and waited for Spike to put them on. "Who are you?" Spike asked, looking at her with disbelieving eyes.

Fluttershy smiled at him comfortingly, even as his stinging words pierced her heart. "My name is Fluttershy Firewing," she answered. "I'm a Dragonlord of Equestria, guardian of the peace, and protector of all." She leaned her head forward, smiling. "But I am also the shy, quiet animal lover that knocked Twilight Sparkle into the air four years ago, delighted at the sight of a baby dragon in front of me." She leaned back, and gestured with her head for Spike to fix the wing blades on. "Please, Spike? I need you to do this _now_."

After a moment of hesitance, Spike nodded, and began slotting the blades onto Fluttershy's feathers. Fluttershy grimaced at how cold each of the blades felt as they were attached to her wings, but that cold feeling, just like the first time, passed quickly.

Finally, after a long while, Spike finished putting the blades on, and stepped back in awe at the sight of them. The blades made Fluttershy's wings look like they were made of metal, and shone in the light of the high sun.

Fluttershy looked at each of her wings with sad eyes. Proud, but sad. This was the day she had been dreading for two years. The day that had plagued her in her nightmares on and off from the day she knew she would have need of them again. She had thought of many reasons as to why she would have to fight again: the changelings invade Equestria en masse, the dragons try to take over, some great and powerful foe kills the princesses and kidnaps her friends while leaving her, believing her to be too weak to fight back.

Out of all of the ideas that came into her mind, however, this reason was one she didn't see coming. _'And one I would never have dreamed of,' _she thought.

"What are you going to do, Spike?" she asked suddenly, drawing Spike's attention from her wings to her face. "Are you going to stay here, or come with me?" She added shyly while scraping at the floor with a hoof, "I don't mind what you decide. Whatever you want to do is fine."

She didn't have to wait for long to get Spike's reply. "I'm not leaving your side, Fluttershy," he answered. He let out a sigh. "I know it's gonna be tough, and we might be forced to do things that we wouldn't normally do. But, right now, I could do with what I consider the only family I have left now."

Fluttershy felt tears well up in her eyes. "I thought you didn't like being all mushy," she said as she hugged him tight.

"Yeah, I don't. I guess you've been rubbing off on me."

Fluttershy giggled as she pulled away to look at him in the eye, smiling amiably, yet holding him by the shoulders. "Yes, you're right, it's going to be dangerous, and there's a chance we will be forced to do things we won't usually do or like. However, if we stand together, and work as a team, then there is nothing we can't overcome." She let him go, and took one long last look at her bedroom.

Her bed was still unmade, her curtains were still drawn and her bathroom door was still open. Yet, despite the mess that she usually despised, it reminded her of why she loved the life of tranquillity she had shared with her animal friends. It made her want to take off her weapons as quick as she could, then bar the bedroom door and hide under her covers, shaking in fright of what was happening around her.

Despite the thought in her head, she didn't fall prey to it. She couldn't – no, she wouldn't – just stand by and watch her friends and loved ones fall into madness, or be used like puppets at the beck and call of their master like maids. She will find out who this master is, then cut the strings away from them, and break her friends free.

First though, there was the problem of staying out of stone long enough to find that out. _'We'll get to safety first, then find out the truth,'_ she decided. She looked down at Spike, who was starting to fidget in place. "Come on, let's get going. We don't want to keep them all waiting."

Spike nodded in agreement, then sprinted out of the door, down the stairs and outside again. Fluttershy giggled to herself, then broke into a gallop after him. She stopped when she saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders waiting for her to go, who looked back at her in awe when they saw the wing blades.

"Where did you get those awesome looking things?" Scootaloo enquired. "And where can I get some?"

Fluttershy quickly shot her wings back to her sides, hiding the blades from sight. "Sorry, Scootaloo, but they were a one-time thing," she lied. "You will look after this place for me while I'm gone, won't you?"

"Course we will," Sweetie Belle said. Her eyes suddenly widened in delight, making Fluttershy suddenly fearful for the safety of her cottage. "Hey, maybe we could get cutie marks in house sitting?"

"Yay! Cutie Mark Crusader house sitters!" the three fillies exclaimed, much to Fluttershy's horror.

'_Oh dear,' _she thought. "Yes, well um… I can see the house will be in good hooves for a while, so I'll leave you girls to it. Don't open the door to anypony, and don't get the animals all cranky. And if somepony tried to break down the door, go to Zecora's and stay there." Her fake, beaming smile faded as she looked at them, and her house, with teary eyes.

She swallowed a lump in her throat, and then said sorrowfully, "Goodbye, girls." She muffled the girls' replies by shutting the front door behind her, her head low and ears flat, as she slowly walked away.

"Fluttershy Firewing?" Vidarr called. Fluttershy looked to Vidarr with a large frown. "What troubles you?"

She sniffed back a few tears. "Everything," she replied. She shook her head to clear it of her sorrow of saying goodbye to her home, then spread her wings and flew onto Vidarr's back. She landed on his back, then settled down onto her stomach and sighed. "Let's go, Vidarr. Keep heading south," she said sadly, for she didn't really care at the moment where she wanted to go. She was just too miserable to care.

Although he looked like he wanted to say something, Vidarr kept it silent. He nodded, then spread his wings, and shot into the air like an arrow. Fluttershy looked back and watched her home grew smaller and smaller, until she could not make it out at all.

"Okay, Fluttershy, you have some explaining to do," Spike said, his arms crossed over his chest and looking at her with narrow eyes. "What happened in Horsca, exactly? And what exactly is a Dragonlord?"

Fluttershy sighed once more, and then sat upright. "I should have told you what happened in there two years ago, Spike, and for that I am sorry. But I suppose it is better late than never, right?" She grinned at him, trying to ease the mood, but it did no good. With a heavy sigh, she gestured for them all to come closer, which they all did, for they looked fascinated by the bracelets on her legs, and the blades on her wings.

"I will tell you everything I know," Fluttershy said. With that, Fluttershy began to tell her story once more, while Vidarr flew away from Ponyville, and over the Everfree Forest.


	4. Chapter 4

"So, let me see if I completely understand this," Spike said once Fluttershy stopped talking, his eyes wide as his mind tried to process what Fluttershy had been telling them for the last half an hour. "You are the last of an order of warriors called Dragonlords that can walk through fire, have dragon-like vision, have dragon-like hearing, can speak an ancient and forgotten dragon language, live longer than normal ponies and can fight just about anything and everything!"

Fluttershy looked in his direction and nodded curtly. Upon seeing Spike's look of utter disbelief, she said, "I know it sounds a bit hard to believe–"

"A bit?" Luna cut her off. "My dear Fluttershy, that is one of the most unbelievable things I've heard in a long, _long_ time. Which is something compared to what I have heard these past few days."

"Fluttershy Firewing speaks the truth," Vidarr said, twisting his head to look at them. "Her blood is that of mine and my great grandfather's, Luna Nocturnus Solaris."

Luna's eyes gazed at Vidarr's own for a moment, as though trying to find an inkling of deceit in the ancient dragon's eyes. She found none. With a sigh, Luna turned back to face the pegasus, smiling thinly at her. "Even if it is the truth, it is still very hard to believe. You, dear Fluttershy, who tried to run away from me that Nightmare Night more than two years ago, have changed into a warrior in such short space of time."

Fluttershy gave Luna a small, sad smile. "That pony died, Princess. Killed by dragon fire," Fluttershy said grimly. She gestured a hoof at her body. "This is what came out of those flames."

Luna said nothing, just nodded at her then turned back to comforting Cadence. Fluttershy looked over to Spike, who had turned his back on them all, and was gazing at the Everfree Forest below them. "Spike, are you all right?"

Spike didn't even turn his head around. "Two years. It has taken you _two years _to finally tell me about what happened in Horsca," he said, making Fluttershy grimace at the anger in his tone. "Why did it take you so long?"

Fluttershy's ears flattened. "I… I'm sorry, Spike. I really am. I just thought–"

"That I wouldn't be able to take it?" Spike snapped, making Fluttershy flinch back. "That cute, little Spikey Wikey wouldn't understand that sort of thing because he's just a baby dragon?" He slowly sighed and raised a claw apologetically. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy, I shouldn't be angry with _just_ you. Not even Twilight confided in me about what happened in Horsca. She said you would be the one to tell me when you were ready. Guess you never were ready, were you?"

Fluttershy smiled half-heartedly, then stood beside him and wrapped Spike under a foreleg. "I am sorry, Spike, I really am, but it was hard to talk about it sometimes. I saw so much that I hope to never see again, and did things that made me hate myself for some time."

For the first time since telling her story, he looked up at her. "But how could you hate yourself? You're too sweet and kind to be a fighter, or a killer."

Fluttershy chuckled lightly. "Oh, Spike. I admit there are times where I can get quite violent, but those are my _really_ bad days." _'Like now, really. This could be easily considered as the worst day of all.'_

"Well, we all have those," Spike said. "But you? Fighting, killing, and putting your life on the line? That doesn't seem something like you would do."

"Wouldn't you do the same if your friends' lives were on the line, Spike? Wouldn't you risk everything in the hope you could see Twilight smile and laugh once more?"

Spike's ears fell flat and his face darkened as he swiftly looked away. "Don't ever mention her name in front of me again. It's one I particularly want to forget."

Fluttershy's ears fell once again. _'He still doesn't see that something has happened to her to make her act how she did. He's too angry and upset to see it,' _Fluttershy thought. She could not blame him for that. "All the same, wouldn't you risk everything for your friends, your family, the one you love?"

Spike didn't answer. He just looked at Fluttershy for a long moment, then looked away and gazed out towards the plains below once more. Fluttershy's heart sunk. _'I hope one day he has it in his heart to forgive her. I hope he has it in him to forgive them all.' _Fluttershy got up on all fours, spread her wings out to help her balance, and then walked slowly and cautiously across Vidarr's back till she felt secure. She watched as the Everfree Forest disappeared behind them and gave way to lush, green grasslands, and isolated cottages, shacks and farms.

"Pray tell, dear Fluttershy," Luna said as she looked around the environment. "Where exactly are we going?"

"I'm not entirely sure yet, Princess," Fluttershy replied. "But now that we're heading this way, we could try and lose ourselves in the desert. That way the ponies they send to find us may not have such an easy job in tracking us down."

Luna nodded in agreement. "It is a sound plan you have. But please, call me Luna from here on in. I'm no longer a Princess, and neither is poor Cadence." She looked down at the solemn mare beside her, lying prone with her head resting on her hooves and her eyes sullen.

Fluttershy pitied the Crystal Princess, and wished there was something she could do to help. _'How can I help her, though? I've got my own problems at the moment.' _Yet her problems and Cadence's were now connected, she quickly realised, as were Luna's and Spike's. _'But how, though? What brought this about? How can they all turn against us so quickly?' _She did not know any answers, but was on the back of someone who might know some. _'I should ask Vidarr what he knows, and how to convince the others to help me.'_

She moved away from Luna and Cadence, then walked along Vidarr's neck, jumped up onto the top of his forehead, and slid down onto his nose. Once she regained her balance, and safe in the knowledge that she wouldn't fall off, she turned to look the dragon in the eye. "**Har du noen ideer om hva som foregår, Vidarr** (Do you have any ideas on what's going on, Vidarr)?" Fluttershy asked the great dragon in Dragonian.

"**Jeg vet ikke hva som får dine venner og Celestia Solaris til å oppføre seg slik, Fluttershy Ildvinge. Men vær du sikker, jeg vil hjelpe deg i ditt mål for å få dem tilbake som du husker dem** (I know not what is causing your friends and Celestia Solaris to act this way, Fluttershy Firewing. But be assured, I will help you in your quest to get them back to you as you know them)," he replied.

Fluttershy smiled at him. "**Jeg viste jeg kunne stole på deg** (I knew I can count on you)." She looked at the ground to see that the grasslands of Equestria were slowly disappearing, and the dry, golden sand of the desert began to take over. "**Men hva med de andre** (But what about the others)?" she asked, gesturing with a hoof up at Vidarr's back towards those she was running away with. "**Jeg vet at jeg ønsker å hjelpe dem mot de som vil dem vondt, men jeg føler at de ikke ønsker det. ****Hvordan kan jeg bevies det motsatte** (I know I want to help those that have done us wrong, but I feel like they don't want to. How could I convince them otherwise)?"

"**Du kan ikke, Fluttershy Ildvinge** (You don't, Fluttershy Firewing)," Vidarr answered. "**Smertene av foræderi er en skade som ikke kan heles så let. Selv om du har rett og at noe har skjedd for at de handler på den veien, så vil skaden altid stå. ****Du vil ikke dømme dem for hardt, vil du** (The pain of treachery is a wound that cannot be so easily healed. Even if you are right and something has happened to them to act this way, the wound will always remain. You will not judge them too harshly on that, will you)?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "**Jeg skal ikke dømme i det hele tatt. Demmes grunn til å ikke hjelpe meg i det hele tatt er helt forståelig. Men, det ville vært bedre hvis jeg hadde demmes hjelp i dette. Jeg frykter bare at noe har hendt mot dem til at de handler den veien, og jeg vil ikke hvile før jeg har funnet ut hva som gjør det, og så stoppe det** (I'm not going to judge on that at all. Their reasons to not help me would be entirely justifiable. However, it would be better if I did have their help in this. I just fear that something has happened to them all to act that way, and I won't rest until I find out what it is, then stop it)."

Vidarr smiled, his eyes speaking of his admiration for her. "**Slik hengivenhet til dine venner, Fluttershy Ildvinge. Selv etter alt som har skjedd, du forsetter å være lojal til dem, til demmes **_**virkelige**_** dem. ****Du er en stor Drageherre** (Such devotion to your friends, Fluttershy Firewing. Even after everything that has happened, you remain loyal to them, to the _real_ them. You truly are a great Dragonlord)." His smile wavered. "**Men det er ikke nå du må finne grunnen til demmes sidestykke. Hva som telles nå er å deg og dine venner til sikkerhet. Når de er trygge, så skal vi begynne å grave etter sannheten** (But it is not now that you must find the cause of their ailment. What matters now is getting you and your friends with us to safety. Once they are safe, then we can begin to uncover the truth)."

Fluttershy nodded. "**Du har rett Vidarr. Demmes sikkerhet kommer først fremfor alt annet** (You're right, Vidarr. Their safety should come first before anything else)." She bowed her head to the dragon, and then jumped back up onto his back, joining the others in the long and sullen silence that had befallen them.

Fluttershy didn't always mind the silence; it was a moment for the pegasus to get her thoughts together, and think of another topic to talk about. But here, it was becoming unbearable. Spike had his back to everyone; Luna was sitting next to Cadence, stroking her head gently, her eyes stating her sorrow. While Cadence lay in a broken state, unmoving except for a few eye blinks every now and then.

Unable to take it anymore, Fluttershy trotted to Vidarr's lower back, then sat on her haunches and looked towards Ponyville and the north of Equestria. After a moment of thought, she decided to look at her blades to see if they were in good condition after their two years of storage. She lifted her right leg up, and let _Drage Bane _shoot out of its scabbard.

While _Firewing's _blade was two feet in length, _Drage Bane's_ was three feet, and had teeth along both edges like that of a shark's, and a sharp point like an arrowhead at the end. It was made out of a type of steel that had been long forgotten to ponykind, but known to be the finest and strongest steel in Terra – forged in dragon fire, and sharpened to the point nothing could take its bite. In short, Fluttershy couldn't have wished for a finer blade.

But even so, there were times she wished she didn't have it. The only reason she liked the sword was that it belonged to her father, and was one of the few things she had to remember him by. As she examined the blade, she wondered what her father would have done if he had rescued them rather than Vidarr. Would he have gone through swords swirling and killed them all? Alternatively, would he have waited until the right moment, then struck without resorting to violence? She hoped it was the latter rather than the former.

"I hope you know when to use that sword," Luna said suddenly from behind her. Fluttershy spun her head around, startled by the sudden presence of Luna's voice directly behind her. "Forgive me for startling you, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy smiled, and then gestured with a hoof for Luna to sit beside her, which the winged unicorn complied. "It's all right… Luna." She thought she was going to have a hard time with just calling Luna by her name alone. "And yes, unfortunately I do know how to use it. Dragonlords know how to fight from the moment they are reborn, thanks to the memories and abilities given to us by Vidarr the First at our creation."

Luna nodded, clearly fascinated by her ancestry. "I'm glad that you know how to use it, but that's not what I asked. What I want to know is: do you know _when_ to use it?"

That question hit Fluttershy hard. When to use it? "Well…" she answered, "I-I know I should use it when you or Spike or Cadence or myself are in danger, and-"

"I didn't mean it like that," Luna cut her off. "What I meant was, are you willing to use it to take life?"

Fluttershy's bright yellow coat went a bit paler than usual. "You mean… to k-k-kill?" Luna nodded. Fluttershy shook her head furiously in response. "I could never kill anything, Luna. I may be a warrior born to kill, but I don't think I can bring myself to do that. All my life I have been brought up to embrace and cherish life, not to take it away." She decided to leave out the fact that she had killed already, but saw that as an accident rather than an intentional killing.

Luna nodded, although Fluttershy could feel a sense of disappointment coming from her. "That's what I thought," Luna muttered, supposedly to herself, but Fluttershy heard it as if she had spoken it aloud.

She was about to ask what she meant by that, when Vidarr suddenly called out, "Fluttershy Firewing!"

Fluttershy cantered from his back, down to his head and back onto his long muzzle. "What is it?" she asked as she spun around to look into his eyes once again.

Vidarr didn't say anything, he simply gestured with his eyes to look to her right. Fluttershy followed his eyes to find herself gazing upon Appleloosa below them. The town had surely grown from what she remembered. The main street had extended to go behind the train station, and carried on for about a quarter of a mile. Small alleyways griddled the town, pact together with new buildings and homes. While around the outskirts, apple trees dotted the barren world, putting a bit of life into an otherwise dead land.

Fluttershy wished she could go and hunker down there for a while, but knew it would be stupid to do so. Anypony that would be sent after them would head to any town in the desert looking for them; so _being_ in any town would be impossible. Fluttershy would have made her way back to the others, had it not been for some things on the ground that caught her eye.

Large haystacks, built up to act like watchtowers of some sort, stood on either side of the road coming into town. Other barricades of different sorts were lined along the road coming into Appleloosa, slowing any approach coming from the south, north and west of the town. And the railway line going to Ponyville was gone, the pieces of track used to create even more barricades.

Fluttershy could not believe what she was seeing. _'How is this happening?'_ she thought. _'I thought we put a stop to this when we first came here!'_

"You've seen the barricades as well?" Vidarr asked.

Fluttershy nodded. "It's almost like… they're preparing for war." Her mind began putting together the pieces: first her friends suddenly decided they hate her, Celestia arrests her sister and niece and herself and Spike for treason, and now this sudden act of hostility in an otherwise peaceful town. None of it seemed right, and she knew she had to get to the bottom of this.

Although one half of her said to keep going and get to safety, another part, her curious side, said she had to know what was going on. After a moment of mental struggle, her curious side won. She began looking around for a suitable landing spot, and quickly saw one just on the other side of a small hill east of the town, perfect to obscure their landing. "Take us down there… um, please?" she ordered, pointing with a hoof.

Vidarr's eyes spoke of his hesitance, but he complied nonetheless. He tucked his wings a bit, and dipped his head as he began to descend towards the spot Fluttershy pointed out.

The sudden descent did not pass the attention of the others, especially Luna. "We're landing?" Luna exclaimed. She glared at Fluttershy from the top of Vidarr's head. "Are you insane? They will catch and take us back to Canterlot in chains if we land!" A soft whimper came from Cadence at the mention of chains, and Spike groaned a little, hugging himself tighter.

"Please, it won't be for long, I promise," Fluttershy assured them, holding her forehooves up as if she were halting them. "I just want to see why they are preparing for war, and then go." Vidarr landed with a soft thud, and lowered his head to the ground, allowing Fluttershy to jump off his head and onto the ground.

She looked back at her companions, who looked down at her as if she was mad, or in concern. "If you want, stay here with Vidarr. I won't be long." With that, she broke into a gallop and made her way over the hill and towards Appleloosa, hoping she had made the right decision.

After a minute or so, she found herself not far from the entrance of the growing town. She made her way onto the road, slowing into a trot as she did so, then stopped and stood facing the length of the road, right down to the train station. The street was completely deserted; no sight nor sound of a pony seemed to appear. She didn't like it at all. Nevertheless, she wanted to know what was going on. Trembling with nervousness, she began to walk slowly forward, gently picking up the pace the closer she got.

She was soon walking steadily between the towered haystacks, and looked everywhere for anypony that could be hiding. Her Dragonlord instincts began to kick in; her ears were at their highest, trying to pick out any mutters or talk between ponies. Her eyes wandered to every spot where somepony could spring an ambush, while her guts were telling her to forget this place and turn back to Vidarr and her friends.

She decided, for just this once, to ignore her guts. _'It wouldn't be the first time they were wrong,' _she mused. Slowly, she began to walk into the town, her heartbeat getting faster and faster with every step as she moved further into Appleloosa. For some reason, she felt like she was walking into the mouth of a large dragon, and it was any moment when the mouth would suddenly close and she would be swallowed whole by it.

She stopped just outside the town bar, and had a good look and listen around. If there were any ponies here, they were very quiet; too quiet for Fluttershy to take any longer. She needed to know what was going on, because a gut feeling was telling her this was connected to Celestia and her friends' strange and hostile behaviour over the last week. It could be mere coincidence, but too many things have happened in her lifetime to make her believe that there is no such thing as coincidence.

"Hello!" she called out, hoping to gain an answer. "I'm not here to hurt you, if that's what you are worried about! I just want to talk… if you want to, that is!" No response was returned, and that made Fluttershy all the more nervous than usual. "Please, I just want to know what's going on, get some food and drink, and I'll be on my way!"

Again, her announcement was met with silence. _'Everypony must have fled,'_ she concluded. She spun around and made her way towards the bar, intending to get some food and drinks for her friends. _'No, they're not my friends – except Spike, of course. And Vidarr. I barely know Cadence and Luna.' _Yet something told her she would have ample time to get to know them better to consider them as friends.

She didn't move ten steps forward when ten ponies walked out of the bar, all of them clutching crudely crafted spears and pitchforks. Fluttershy froze when she saw the weapons, and began to step back from them in fright. The ten ponies stood in a line, with their weapons lowered and pointing threateningly at her. A twitch from Fluttershy's right ear made her look right to see more ponies emerging from some of the other buildings, cutting off her escape route. Most of them armed with weapons of various sorts, while the rest were armed with scowls.

Fluttershy's left ear twitched, and she saw more ponies coming out of the buildings, and cutting off the paths into the alleyways. Fluttershy saw she was now surrounded on all sides. The Dragonlord could feel her heart hammering against her chest, threatening to break out of its place and burst through her ribcage. She looked up to see a large group of pegasi were now hovering above her, cutting off every route of escape – save one.

With a heavy heart, she opened up her wings, revealing the wing blades hidden in them, and then raised her right leg and let _Drage Bane_ shoot out of its bracelet. The ponies closing around her backed away in sudden fright at this well armed and possibly experienced mare. "Please," she pleaded one more time, hoping they would listen to reason, "I don't want to hurt anypony, but I will if you attack me. I just want to know about those barricades, and why they have been set up."

At that, the ponies stepped closer. "She's a spy!" one shouted, rearing up and pointing an accusing hoof at her. "A spy sent by Princess Celestia to find out about us!" This was met with a roar of approval from the crowd, making Fluttershy cringe.

"Kill her! Kill her and send her body back as a warning to those who dare cross the new republic!" another pony shouted, making Fluttershy's heart beat a little faster.

"But I don't understand? Why this sudden hatred to Princess Celestia? What's this republic you're talking about?" she asked. The crowd weren't listening; they were set on making Fluttershy an example. They advanced slowly towards her, their weapons lowered and threatening. Fluttershy didn't know what to do, fight them and possibly kill a few of them to get out, or prostrate herself on the ground, hug herself tight and pray her end would be quick.

"Stop!" a commanding, yet familiar voice called, denying her any action she didn't want to take. As one, the ponies backed away from Fluttershy, whose heart slowed down as she sighed in relief. She turned around to face whoever saved her, and gasped.

"Sheriff Silverstar?" she asked, recognising him a little from her first trip here. The brown stallion had changed little since her last visit. His moustache had been trimmed to a more stylish look, and his mane had been shortened. But the thing that she noticed most was how much older he looked.

The stallion bowed his head at her in respect. "What brings ya here, little missy?" he asked, his tone not stating his displeasure or pleasure of her visit.

Fluttershy glanced around her to see how far everypony was from her, hoping that if she turned around one of them wouldn't suddenly strike her with a spear from behind. Noticing her unease, Silverstar inclined his head at the ponies, and as one, all the ponies backed off to give Fluttershy some space.

Fluttershy now felt like she could breath easier, now that she had some space. She looked back at Silverstar, who was staring back at her with a curious, almost wary, look. She gave the stallion a little curtsy. "Thank you, Sheriff Silverstar," she said. Keeping her eyes on the sheriff, she advanced towards him. Some of the ponies closest to her sprang forward to stop her making a move, but were stopped by a raised hoof from the sheriff. "Please, all I ask is some food and water for me and my friends, and I'll be on my way." Her eyes widened when she suddenly remembered she didn't have any money to pay them._ 'Oh dear,' _she thought.

The stallion looked at her for a second, then nodded and gestured with his head to the bar. "Follow me," he ordered. "There's some stuff in 'ere we can spare for ya and your friends."

Fluttershy looked surprised. "Really? I can just have it, for free?"

Silverstar looked back. "Ya look like ya need it, lil' missy. Now come on, in here so we can talk in private."

Fluttershy quickly complied and cantered after him, quickly noticing the ponies outside starting to surround the building from a distance incase she tried to do something irrational. _'As if I ever would do anything irrational,'_ she thought. A few thoughts and memories from the past came back to her, giving her statement of herself some pause. _'Oh. Maybe I have done_ some _irrational things in my lifetime.'_

Inside, the saloon had a typical western look. An array of wooden tables scattered across the floor, a large bar with stacks of drinks behind made up one end of the wall; a flight of stairs to bedrooms for the night as well as other places Fluttershy didn't want to think about, and a room just behind the stairs leading to a poker table. Fluttershy kept her eyes wide open, her ears at their highest and her wings stretched out to show she was not a mare to be trifled with.

Sheriff Silverstar walked around the bar and into the kitchen behind. "Would ya like some water as a drink, or somethin' a bit stronger?" he called from inside.

Fluttershy sat her rump on one of the chairs. "Um, just water, I think, thank you," she called in response. "Some red wine would be better, if only I could drink it properly," she muttered to herself.

As she waited, she gave her mane and tail a cleanup, cleaning out any dust and sand she had caught from her gallop into the town. After that, she rested her head on the table and let out a heavy sigh while rubbing a temple with a hoof. She felt tired and miserable. This morning she had woken up a free mare. Now, before the day was even done, she was branded a traitor and forced to go on the run. _'This week is turning out to be the worst week of my life,' _she thought. _'Much worse than the week I learnt I was a Dragonlord, lost my father and nearly lost my friends.'_

Her brooding was cut short when Silverstar returned with a large bag full of food and drink. _'That should last us weeks,'_ she thought. Fluttershy smiled gratefully as she reached out and took it. "Oh, thank you, sir," she said as she peeked inside.

"Ya quite welcome, lil miss," Silverstar said. "And never worry 'bout paying us back; we like to help others out here."

Fluttershy smiled at him as she felt something lift off her chest. She set the bag beside her chair, and straightened herself up once more. "Now, um, you don't have to unless you don't want to, but could I ask you a question or two?" Fluttershy asked, looking down at her hooves and quickly glancing up now and then.

Silverstar looked at her warily, as if he was suspecting to fall into some trap Fluttershy did not have. After a moment, he pulled up another chair and sat down opposite the pegasus. "Okay," he sighed. "What do ya want to know?"

"Well, um, how are things with the buffalo?" she asked.

Silverstar tilted his head, his expression portraying his confusion. "Everything's fine with them, as far as I'm aware. Why do ya ask?"

"Well, after seeing those barricades out there, I figured something must have happened between you and them to have them set up. I can't imagine another reason, really."

Silverstar reared his head back from her, his eyes stating his surprise. "Ya really don't know what's goin' on, do ya?"

"Forgive me if I sound rude, but I am supposed to?" Fluttershy enquired with a shrug. "It's been a long week, and bad stuff has happened for me to notice. Besides, I don't read the newspaper."

Silverstar turned around to get something, then came back with a newspaper. "Then ya need to read this. This is news coming from across Equestria," he said, turning to the right page. He found it and then turned it around for Fluttershy to see.

Fluttershy leaned forward and read it quickly. The further she read the articles, the more she felt her blood starting to run even colder. She felt her mouth open, and her eyes widen even more in horror of what was happening.

Trottingham and Hoofington had just become their own state. Las Pegasus, Baltimare, Manehatten, Vanhoover, Cloudsdale, and Fillydelphia were rioting violently. Strutford and Detrots – two cities Fluttershy distinctively remembered – were locked down in a curfew. And the smaller towns and villages all over the country had gone totally silent, as though they didn't exist anymore.

"There are some that say Las Pegasus has formed its own state, and Trottingham and Hoofington are just rioting violently," Silverstar explained. "Everything is so confusing and muddled up that it's hard to really understand what is going on. All I can see is that a storm's sweepin' through Equestria, to put it in a polite manner."

Fluttershy found herself unable to read anymore. She leaned back on her chair and wiped her face with a hoof, feeling how cold she was. _'I must look pale,'_ she thought. "And what about Appleloosa and Dodge Junction?" she enquired.

Silverstar gestured with his hooves at the building around him. "Right now, you're in the Southern Republic, the newly created nation for all the desert towns and cities that were once part of Equestria, and ruled by Braeburn and a few others in Dodge Junction. I was asked to be a ruler but I turned it down; somepony has to be the Sheriff here."

Fluttershy's mouth opened even wider, staring at him in disbelief. "B-b-but w-why?" she stammered. "Why break apart from Equestria?"

"Think about it, missy. What has Celestia and Luna done for us? Hmm?" Fluttershy wasn't entirely sure what the two Princesses had done for them, except maybe allowing them to settle here, so she shut her mouth and kept silent. "We built this entire town from the ground up without any finance, or any assistance for that matter, from them.

"They never even came to us when we 'ad that disagreement with the buffalo. So we all came together – me and Braeburn, a few from Dodge Junction, and others supporting the other towns out 'ere – and we all decided to form a separate state and break off from the rest of Equestria," he explained. He tapped the newspaper. "It seems like most of Equestria have opened their eyes as well to this. I have a feeling that when the sun rises again, Equestria will be no more."

Fluttershy couldn't believe what she was hearing. "So, what about those barricades? Are they there to sto…" Her voice faded into silence at the look she was getting from Silverstar. It was a wary, almost suspicious look, as if Fluttershy was asking too many questions – too many important questions. She realised quickly she should have been more careful in what she said.

'_I think it's time to leave,'_ she decided. She quickly scolded herself for not following her guts for this one time and kept on going with Vidarr and the others. "Well, uh, thank you, Sheriff, for, um, letting me know about what's going on around Equestria, and, uh, for the food and drink." She pushed her chair back and jumped off, then wrapped the strap of the food and drink bag around her shoulders. "It will come in handy for me and my friends as we run into the desert for our very lives," she said quickly while walking backwards towards the exit, her eyes never leaving Silverstar's. "Um, thanks again!"

Silverstar cocked his head at her, his suspicious look never receding. Suddenly he cried, "Colts!" At once, two ponies burst through the door with their spears lowered and pointing at Fluttershy, forcing her to stop. "Ya asked too many questions, little missy," Silverstar said. "Too many for comfort. Yes, those barricades are to stop any retaliation from Equestrian forces should they try and take back the town, which we think they will attempt."

Fluttershy glanced back and gulped as she saw how close the spears were to her hide. "S-so, um, what does that mean for me?" she asked, looking back at Silverstar.

The stallion took his hat off and pressed it against his chest. "I'm sorry, miss, but I can't let ya walk away from here. Even if ya ain't a spy, if ya get caught and interrogated for being here ya could tell them all our arrangements and such. I can't let that happen." He gestured to her wings. "Take those blades of yours off, as well as any other weapon ya carry, and no harm will come to ya. Ya have my word as the Sheriff of this town."

Fluttershy considered for a second to put down her weapons and surrender, but knew if she did then there was a chance that when Equestrian forces do – _will_ come, Fluttershy thought – then she would get caught up in the attack, and possibly be captured once more. It was something she did not intend to happen to her; besides, she needed to get back to her friends. _'I hope you can all forgive me for this,' _she thought. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Sheriff, so I'm sorry."

Before anypony knew what was happening, she went low, spun around, let _Drage Bane _whisk out from its scabbard, and cut off the spear ends of the ponies' weapons.

The stallion on the right quickly recovered and tried to take her down with a single kick of a leg in the head. Fluttershy swerved away from the hoof, and then countered by taking the leg in her hooves and pulling it hard, dislocating it. "Sorry," she whispered as the stallion screamed out in pain. She threw the stallion to the side, not noticing he was knocked out cold by stumbling into a table head first. The other stallion lunged at her a hoof ready to hit her, and teeth ready to bite.

Fluttershy swerved away from the hoof, and was meant to use her other hoof to deflect the stallion's head, only to hit him harder than she intended to. He went down without a sound. "Oh my, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hit you that hard!" she squeaked frighteningly as she looked down at the colt she had punched. She looked up at Silverstar, who looked sullen at the scene in front of him, and then spun around and ran outside, intent on getting out of the town.

She halted when she saw the vast number of ponies looking at her with angry eyes. As one, the ponies rushed forward in an attempt to capture her again. Fluttershy narrowed her eyes as she figured out a way to get passed them, and then spread her wings once again as she willed herself to charge forward. Just before she and the ponies clashed together, she thrust her wings down in a heavy beat, spraying clouds of dust and sand into the ponies' faces, blinding them and driving them away from her outstretched wings. She did it repeatedly until a cloud of sand obscured her from the ponies, and allowed her to pass through without hurting anypony.

Eventually, she found her way out of the crowd of ponies, and left them in the dust. A pegasus saw her about to leave the town, and dived down in an attempt to stop her. At the right moment, Fluttershy veered out of the way, making the pegasus land face first into the ground. "Sorry!" she called. At the sound of her voice, the other ponies of the town charged out of the dust cloud Fluttershy created, and thundered towards her.

Fluttershy squeaked, "Eep!" in fright, and ran just a little bit faster out of the town and towards the ridge where Vidarr and her friends resided. Her heart raced like a drum, and her eyes were wide with fear as she tried to ignore the ideas of what might happen to her if they captured her.

"VIDARR!" she called as loud as she could as she raced over the crest to where she knew they were. The dragon's head shot up at the hearing of his name, and sighed in relief as he saw Fluttershy race towards him.

"I thought for a moment I would have to rescue you, Dragonlord," he said as she raced up to him.

"You still could if you want! Look!" She pointed to the crest of the hill where about a hundred angry looking ponies were striding over. They instantly halted when they saw the large yellow dragon she was with, and began to back away in fear.

"Allow me to deal with this," he whispered into Fluttershy's ear. He turned himself around and set himself so that Fluttershy was behind him, then spread his wings and bared his teeth, growling like a wolf. Some ponies began to flee back to the town in terror, while some bravely, or foolishly, stood their ground.

One pony lowered her spear and walked up to the dragon, thrusting it threateningly. Amused, Vidarr took a step closer and, with two fingers of his claw, snapped the spear in half like a twig. The pony looked at what was left of her spear, then back at Vidarr, and then grinned sheepishly as she tried to escape his gaze.

Grinning, Vidarr leaned his head forward and suddenly whispered, "Boo." At once, everypony began to run away back to the town in terror, screaming their lungs out. Vidarr couldn't help but laugh as he watched them go, and neither could Fluttershy.

"Forgive me for not sharing your amusement, but I don't see the funny side of what just occurred," Luna said, watching with a mildly perplexed look.

"I don't see the funny side either," Spike concurred, sharing the same look with Luna.

"It's just that 'boo' made them all run away," Fluttershy explained as she jumped onto Vidarr's back. She chuckled once more as she fell onto her haunches, shaking her head at herself. "So legendary."

"Quite. But I'm sure Vidarr would not have had to go 'boo' if _you_ stayed on his back and we kept on going!" Luna yelled, prodding Fluttershy on the chest hard. "What were you thinking?" Luna continued, making Fluttershy's ears fall flat as she took it. "You could have been captured; you could have had us _all_ captured! Do you hones-"

"All right!" Fluttershy snapped, cutting her off. "I get it, I made a mistake, don't we all do that from time to time?" She sighed as her shoulders slumped and exhaustion began to make itself known to her. "I'm sorry, Luna. And I'm sorry to you two as well," she said, turning to face Cadence and Spike with apologetic eyes. "It was wrong of me to go in. I realised that by the time I was nearly done." She suddenly looked back at Luna as she just remembered why she went in there in the first place. "But what I learnt should make up for it."

"You mean you found something out, Fluttershy Firewing?" Vidarr said, turning his large head to eye her curiously.

Fluttershy turned her head to look at Vidarr and then nodded. "I'll tell you about it as we move," she said.

Taking that as a cue to move, Vidarr spread his wings out and shot into the air, going straight up for a moment then levelling out as they went south, leaving Appleloosa behind them. With danger out of the way for a moment, Fluttershy began to tell them what Silverstar told her. The ponies and dragons' eyes widened in horror as Fluttershy told them in brief about the growing unrest and chaos affecting all of Equestria.

"This can not be happening," Cadence said quietly, surprising everyone since she hadn't spoken yet. The mare slunk down even further, her eyes welling up with tears of sorrow. "Please tell me this isn't happening…"

Luna walked up to her and hugged the other winged unicorn comfortingly. "Are you certain of this, Fluttershy?" she demanded.

"I'm not entirely sure, Luna, since most of what I was told came from a newspaper," Fluttershy answered. "But if the desert towns have separated themselves as well, then surely others would have followed."

Luna shook her head, sighing. "Celestia, you fool," she muttered to herself. "You shouldn't have imprisoned us for false accusations. Now you have a whole nation up in arms about it."

Fluttershy raised her eyebrows in shock. _'She really thinks they're doing it because she and Cadence were imprisoned.'_ She wanted to tell them that she was right and something had not just happened to Celestia and her friends, but now _all_ of Equestria as well to act the way they are. But she could see she would lose that argument, since all of them felt exactly as Luna felt. _'I'll have to wait for some more evidence,' _she decided. _'Only then they would really believe me.'_

The group fell silent as Vidarr flew them all across the desert.

* * *

The sun was starting to disappear under the horizon when the three ponies and two dragons decided to stop for the night. They landed on what looked like a huge square rock with a roughly flat surface on top that, conveniently, had a naturally created ramp that they could use to get down.

Once Vidarr landed, Spike was the first to jump off. "Finally!" he exclaimed, stretching his legs and arms. "Sitting on a dragon's back for half a day is _not_ comfortable." He began going for a little stroll around the rock face.

Fluttershy was next to jump off Vidarr's back, followed close behind by Luna and Cadence. The three ponies flexed their wings for a moment to quell the aching feeling they all had in them. "That took forever," Cadence said dryly, stretching her legs out. "It does feel nice to walk again."

"It certainly does, and it feels nice to be here," Luna said, looking around.

Fluttershy could only nod to agree. The view from the rock was outstanding. South of the rock they stood on, the Macintosh Hills displayed a deep, fiery red in the low sunlight; while around them were miles of flat desert, displaying a bright, almost golden colour as the sun disappeared. "Right," she said quietly, "should we set up a campfire and settle down for the night?"

Luna and Cadence nodded. "Quite right, Fluttershy," Luna agreed, "but I suggest we come up with a plan for the morning. As nice as it is here, I wouldn't want to stay longer than a night."

Although she wished they could stay here, Fluttershy knew Luna was right. They couldn't stay in one place for long, or else they would be caught. _'Perhaps we'll keep running for the rest of our lives,' _she thought sadly. That was something she would not do – not this time.

"Stay here," Vidarr commanded as he spread his wings. "I shall return with some firewood and food." Before a pony or dragon could protest, Vidarr shot up into the air and quickly became a blob in the blue sky.

"At least we won't run out of firewood quickly," Spike said as they watched him go. "Come on," he gestured with an arm wave, "I found a spot we can use to shelter for the night."

"You should all get comfortable," Fluttershy said. "I'll wait here for Vidarr when he returns." The two ponies nodded, and then followed Spike to the centre of the rock, which had large rocks positioned like sentries around a small area, which kept the high, gale wind out of their faces and kept them warm to some degree.

Fluttershy watched them go, and then began pacing in a circle as her mind tried to understand and make sense of what was going on around her. "I wish I had a brain like Twilight's," she said to herself, for she could think of nothing that she had read or heard from Twilight that could solve all this. She stopped and sighed sadly as she thought of Twilight. "Hmm," she chuckled. "I bet she wouldn't make as much sense of it as I am. In fact, she would probably make it even more confusing." So she began pacing again, hoping she would come up with an answer.

A few minutes later, long after Vidarr had returned with a large group of firewood and some food, she was still pacing. Bits of her mane started to stick out, her eyes were glued into a hardened glare, and her brain was beginning to hurt from so much thinking. _'Now I know why Twilight gets so stressed easily,' _she mused.

"Fluttershy?" She spun around at the mention of her name. Spike flinched back and grimaced when he saw her eyes. "Are you gonna have something to eat? Vidarr found some rich hay and gems while he was out."

Fluttershy's glare softened, then she looked away and shook her head. "I'm not hungry," she stated moodily.

"Ah, come on, Fluttershy. You have to try and eat," Spike said persistently. "Please? For me?"

Fluttershy looked back at him, and her gaze softened as she saw the pleading, caring look in Spike's eyes. "Okay," she sighed. She turned around and walked to the campfire where Luna and Cadence were lying.

"Say, where did you get all these gems, Vidarr?" Spike asked as he took a handful of gems and stuffed them in his mouth.

'_He must have been hungry,'_ Fluttershy thought as she walked up to the campfire. She sat on her haunches next to Spike, looking at the pile of hay in front of her.

"I found them outside an abandoned diamond mine in some woods not far from here, Spike Draconis," the great dragon replied. "Next to a rocky hill."

Spike swallowed the gems in his mouth, and then looked at Vidarr oddly. "That's not my last name. In fact, I don't have a last name."

"Oh yes, you do," Vidarr insisted. Spike tilted his head further, prompting Vidarr to explain. "The surname Draconis is given to those who have no known parents, or parents that are not recognised as mates."

"So technically," Luna concluded, "Spike's last name states that he is a b-"

"Well the hay you brought us looks lovely!" Fluttershy shouted abruptly, cutting off Luna from finishing her sentence. "Thank you for bringing it all here, Vidarr." The dragon looked at her and smiled.

Spike nodded in agreement, but still looked confused. He leaned over and whispered into Fluttershy's ear, "What was Luna about to say? What does my last name mean, exactly?"

Fluttershy leaned her head back from him and shook it in response. "Doesn't matter," she whispered. She turned her attention to Luna and Cadence, who were sitting close together, nibbling slowly on the hay given to them. "How're you two doing?" she asked as she lowered herself down on her stomach.

"Could be better," Cadence replied, trying to smile but Fluttershy could see it waning. "But I don't think I will get any worse."

Fluttershy smiled at that, for Cadence's sake more than anything else. "And you, Luna? How are you holding?"

"I will be fine, Fluttershy. Don't worry about me," Luna assured her. "Just worry about yourself and for young Spike." She paused to shift her back end about til she felt comfortable once more. "Now, we need to start thinking about where we will head from here tomorrow morning."

"Let's just keep heading south," Spike said. "We might as well since we're this far already."

"That would be the easiest option to take. However, I fear that we may not find any peace further south. If anything, we will be in greater risk than we are now." Luna looked south with heavy eyes.

"What do you mean, Luna?" Fluttershy enquired with a tilt of her head. The others looked at the Night Princess for an explanation.

Luna faced her with a serious expression. "Beyond the desert lie thousands of miles of unchartered forests, ruins, and other things. All we know about the south is that the changelings hives, dragons and other dangerous beasts that roam its lands call it home. Creatures that would not hesitate to kill us in an instant."

Fluttershy went pale at the mention of changelings, and then paled further when dragons were mentioned. "Um… I agree with Luna on this," she said, raising a hoof for no particular reason. "Maybe it was not the best idea to go south."

"Maybe, but we just can't stop now," Cadence protested. "We have to continue, for better or worse."

Luna sighed exasperatingly; frustrated that none of them could come to a unanimous decision. "Spike, what do you think we should do?" she asked, turning to look at the baby dragon.

Spike shot his head up from the gem he was eating, to gaze into each of their expecting faces. "Uh, I don't know, to be honest. I thought here would be just fine."

Luna looked like she was about to groan aloud, but was able to control herself. Fluttershy smiled at him, and draped a wing across him in a hug. "It's okay, Spike. I know it's nice here, but we can't stay. We'll be open targets otherwise."

"I know," Spike said with a sigh. "But one could wish, eh?"

Fluttershy nodded, smiling thinly. "Yeah, one can." She looked at each of the ponies, studying them to see if they had a suggestion, but could see none. Then she remembered. There were five members in their party, so where was the fifth? "Where's Vidarr?" she asked, looking around for him.

The three she was with looked around for any sign of him, yet found none. "Wow, he can move quietly for a big fella," Spike remarked as he looked around.

"Vidarr!" Luna called out.

"Over here!" Vidarr called in response. Fluttershy craned her neck up to look over a rock, and saw the silhouette of a dragon sitting at the edge of the butte, looking towards Canterlot and the rest of Equestria.

Fluttershy took her wing off Spike, and got back up. "I'm going to talk to him. He might know what to do next." With that, she trotted around one of the rocks to join the large dragon.

"It is a beautiful sunset, is it not?" Vidarr asked when she was next to him. Fluttershy sat on her haunches and looked at where he was staring. Even when she wanted to look away and back up at Vidarr to answer, a part of her protested the action, for the sunset was too gorgeous to look away from.

Thanks to the desert, and the cloudless sky – at least, that's what Fluttershy thought caused it to look the way it was – the sun was a dark, blood red as it descended from the sky, with rays of sunlight shooting up into the encroaching night as if the sun was trying to cling onto something to stop its descent.

Fluttershy was finally able to draw her gaze from the sun to look up at Vidarr. "Yes, it is beautiful. Beautiful beyond words."

A grunt of agreement came from the dragon. "It is beautiful, and yet sad."

Fluttershy looked at him confusedly. "How is it sad?"

"It is sad because this sunset marks the end of an age: the Age of Harmony. When the sun rises again, Equestria will never look like it once did."

Fluttershy looked at him sadly, while fearing he might have given up hope already. "Yet it will still rise," Fluttershy said, looking back at it. "And as long as it continues to rise there is still hope."

"Hope?" Vidarr queried, looking down at her. "Hope for what?"

"Hope to undo what has been done," Fluttershy answered.

Vidarr lowered his head so his eyes were gazing directly into her own. Fluttershy found herself leaning back from his draconic gaze; he might be a friend, but he was still a big, scary dragon. After a moment, he smiled at her. "You really think you can fix everything that has gone wrong, don't you?"

"Well… no-not by myself, of course, I'm not that good," Fluttershy replied, rubbing her forehooves together. "Why? Don't you?"

Vidarr looked back towards the sunset, his face emotionless and difficult to explain. "If I'm honest, no. To fix Celestia Solaris and your friends is one thing, but to fix an entire nation seems like an impossible task."

"I don't believe that anything is impossible, Vidarr. Not anymore," Fluttershy countered. "I did begin the reformation process of Discord, after all. A task even my friends thought impossible. And yet I did it."

"Yes. You did do that. You did indeed. Despite everything you had learnt about him from Horsca, you looked past that, and changed him for the better," he said. He glanced down at her and smiled at her proudly. "You have come far as a Dragonlord of Terra, Fluttershy Firewing. I have listened and watched with sheer pride as you have grown to become the mare sitting beside me today. I am certain your mother and father would be very proud of what I see before me."

Fluttershy smiled bashfully and looked away, two pink blushes staining her cheeks at the high praise. "But you still have much to learn, and more room to grow if you want to become the greatest Dragonlord that has ever lived," Vidarr added.

"Oh, I know that, Vidarr. I have a long life ahead of me to go through all that. Provided I survive the coming weeks," Fluttershy responded. "If I survive the hammer fall that splits Equestria apart."

Vidarr looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You think this is what I predicted?"

"What else could it be?" Fluttershy replied. She gestured with a wide wave of her hoof to all of Equestria. "Look at what's happening, Vidarr; everypony hates each other. Whole areas of the country are splitting apart, creating their own kingdoms or other forms of government. My element has been ripped from me. And even though my friends speak hate to me, today I saw in their eyes that their true selves were screaming at me to help them. They need me, Vidarr. More than ever."

Vidarr's throat seemed to groan as he turned his head to look back at the sun. "You could be right, Fluttershy Firewing." The two fell into a companionable silence as they watched the sun start to disappear under the horizon, and the moon began to rise into the night sky, which was littered with bright dots as the stars made themselves known.

Fluttershy quickly looked back to see if Luna had anything to do with this, but couldn't see her horn glowing like she imagined it would. _'Maybe that way of magic is different. Maybe she does it by the mind rather than with her horn,'_ Fluttershy thought.

"So tell me, Fluttershy Firewing, why did you come to see me at this moment?" Vidarr asked. "Because I know it was not idle chatter that you wished with me, was it?"

Fluttershy took a deep breath, and then nodded. "Me and the others, namely, me and Luna, think that we're going the wrong way. We were wondering if you had any ideas on where we should go."

Instead of coming up with an answer, Vidarr merely chuckled. "So you finally figured out amongst yourselves that we were going the wrong way?"

"Well, we came to the conclusion that going… Hold on, what do you mean, 'you finally figured it out'?"

Vidarr's eyes looked at everything but Fluttershy, almost as if he looked guilty at something. It didn't take long for Fluttershy to work out _why_ he was guilty. "You knew?" she asked, trying to control her temper. "You knew we were going the wrong way _all_ this time and never spoke up, not even turning around and fly us in the right one?"

After a moment, Vidarr bowed his head in shame. "I am sorry, Fluttershy Firewing. I am used to following Dragonlord orders that maybe I had forgotten what it means to think for myself."

"Don't you _dare_ give me that excuse! You had almost _fifteen_ years to think for yourself!" Fluttershy yelled, unable to control her anger anymore. Realising she was yelling, she took a deep breath to clam herself, which worked slightly. "So if you know which way we should go, then could you please tell me… please?"

After a moment of hesitance, Vidarr lifted up a claw, and with a single finger, pointed north. "North is where you should go, Fluttershy Firewing. To the one place where you will _definitely_ be safe: Horsca."

The realisation that dawned across her face and mind hit her harder than a slap to the face. Horsca; the land of the horses, and the kingdom of Queen Freya Palomino, a personal friend of hers, and who had pronounced Fluttershy as a Thane of Horsca two years ago. It was the perfect place to go for sanctuary.

And here she was, going in the completely wrong direction.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" she screeched into the sky. She buried her face in her hooves to muffle the frustrated scream that she released. After a moment to scream, she lifted her face out of her hooves, and looked at Vidarr vehemently. "And you were going to tell me this, _now_?"

Vidarr, despite being a large dragon hundreds of years old and one of the deadliest creatures on Terra, shrank back from Fluttershy's terrifying gaze. "Well, sort of. I had hoped that you would figure it out halfway into the desert. I was going to say something at about Appleloosa, but then I saw the barricades, then heard what you said, and my mind went deep into thought that heading north escaped my mind for the moment."

Fluttershy pulled her lips back into a growling snarl. "You better have a pretty good reason to do this to us, Vidarr," Fluttershy whispered as she tried to calm down. She could feel _Drage Bane_ twitching in its bracelet, begging to be let out. And if she was completely honest to herself, she wanted a reason to have it come out.

Vidarr nodded, though Fluttershy could see that whatever he was about to say would be said with a heavy heart. "I am afraid I do, young Dragonlord, and it pains my heart to have to put you in such a position."

"What position?" Fluttershy demanded angrily. As soon as the words tumbled out of her mouth, she knew half of the answer. "This is a test, isn't it? You want to test me on something. What is it?"

Vidarr, after a moment of silence, nodded in answer. "Fluttershy Firewing, you are the daughter of Firewing Moneris, the last Primarch of the Dragonlord order. When a Primarch dies, the title he had passes down to the Dragonlord he chooses, or the only one that can accept the title. Since you are the only Dragonlord known to Terra at present, the title of Primarch, therefore, passes down to you."

In an instant Fluttershy forgot that she was angry. She felt her hind legs give way, and she collapsed onto her rump. "B-but," she sputtered, "h-how does that work, since the Dragonlord order is gone, with just me left?"

"A Primarch isn't only the leader of the Dragonlord order, Fluttershy Firewing. To many countries, the word 'Primarch' means guide, others it means shepherd, and to those like the Griffon Kingdoms, it means great warrior. Those meanings are derived from the Dragonlord order, and the deeds they have done for those countries. You will not only be asked to lead Dragonlords, but to guide and lead entire _nations_."

Fluttershy's eyes widened in horror and her body tensed up once more. _'Me? Primarch? A leader of ponies?' _Furthermore, being a leader meant being the centre of attention. She shuddered in fear at the thought that maybe one day, a group of ponies would look at her, waiting for some order or guidance that she didn't think she could give, simply because she didn't do well in large crowds.

"I-I don't think I could do that, Vidarr," Fluttershy objected. "I don't think I could ever lead ponies. I just don't think I have what it takes to lead. I prefer just following or giving advice from time to time. Not true leadership."

"But do you want to always be the sheep that follows the shepherd, Fluttershy Firewing?" Vidarr asked.

It was a good question, Fluttershy realised. Was she content to just follow, and not be followed? Many of her animal friends considered herself a leader, strictly speaking. They listened to her, asked her for guidance, and followed her without question. If they did all that, while she led them, surely she can lead a couple of ponies, could she?

After another long moment to think about it, Fluttershy shook her head. "No. No, I don't want to be a follower all my life."

"That's what I thought. No one ever wants to be _just_ a follower," Vidarr agreed. "You're right, though. You don't have what it takes to lead. At least, not yet." He lowered himself so that his belly touched the ground. "Would it surprise you to learn that once Celestia Solaris and Luna Nocturnus Solaris were once simple unicorns who would rather frolic in meadows than lead a nation?"

Fluttershy looked back to where the Princess of the Night was sitting in shock. "Yes," Fluttershy simply answered as she turned back around. "Yes it would."

"Well that is the truth. When they came into this world, they cared little about the trouble Equestria had under Discord's rule, and lived peacefully north of the Crystal Empire until they met Starswirl the Bearded. The great Dragonlord taught them of their destiny, and helped them to achieve it by helping them discover the Elements of Harmony. With Starswirl's teaching and advice, as well as the advice of others, they became the rulers they were meant to be.

"Anypony can be a leader, Fluttershy Firewing. Some, just a rare few, are born with the sense of command, but most earn it through experiences, both good and bad. That is how you will become a good leader, by learning from your mistakes, and improving yourself in mind, and body. You were not born with a sense of command, but you will certainly gain it in the dark days to come. For that sense to be gained, however, you must be tested with a task. The task I have for you will require a great deal of strength, intelligence, and no small amount of courage. Do you think you can handle all that?"

Fluttershy wanted to say that she couldn't. She wanted to say that she wanted to leave Luna and Cadence with the decisions, while she ran and cowered under a rock somewhere. She never felt more scared now then she did in her twenty two years of living; even the fear in Heimdallr's prison was nothing compared to the dread she was feeling at present. This were her own friends, her own people she was up against, not some evil dragon who wanted to burn everything.

Just as she thought that, she truly felt like a traitor. Her friends were in trouble, Equestria was ripping itself asunder and the Princesses of Equestria were torn apart. To run and hide now would be to go back on her oath and vow she swore into the sky two years ago, when she was just realising what she was. She had to do this, if not for herself then for everypony in Equestria, especially her friends.

Fluttershy puffed out her chest, boosting herself meagrely with self-confidence, and gave Vidarr a firm and determined nod. "I will do my best, Vidarr."

The dragon smiled. "That's all I can ask for." He paused for a moment to brush some of his mane out of his face. "The task I have for you is to guide these ponies and dragon north to Horsca, without unnecessary casualties or fatalities. I want you to think wisely on any action you take, any decision you make, and get them _all_ to safety. If you can do that, then you will have what it takes to be a good leader."

Fluttershy's eyes looked up at her forehead as she remembered what she had to do. "So, how do I know if I passed?"

"By getting them all to safety, Fluttershy Firewing," Vidarr answered.

"And what if I make a mistake that doesn't result in one of us getting killed?"

"It doesn't matter, for leaders always make mistakes; you are only mortal, after all. So long as you can make up for those mistakes and get them all to Horsca safely then everything will be fine."

"What if I'm forced to kill one of my friends while trying to escape?" Fluttershy asked frantically, on the verge of panicking. "What if I die and they all make it? What if–"

"Fluttershy Firewing!" Vidarr roared, cutting off the little pegasus. Fluttershy squeaked and shrank back from Vidarr's shouting, looking through her mane with terrified eyes. Vidarr sighed. "I know you're scared, Dragonlord. I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared. But try not to think deeply about what you have just asked. Just keep you head cool and controlled, and you will all come out of it okay."

Fluttershy suddenly realised how Vidarr was speaking. "Hang on, what do you mean? You make it sound like you're not coming with us?"

Vidarr looked away, his eyes heavy with regret. "That is because I must leave you, Fluttershy Firewing. You will have to get to Horsca without me."

Fluttershy felt her heart plummet like a stone thrown into water. "What?" she rasped, tears filling her eyes.

"I am afraid that I must return to the growing Dragon Kingdom, and convince the other dragons to aid and support Equestria, and anywhere else where strife is apparent," Vidarr answered. "The Dragon King will know what is happening, and hopefully I can convince him to help us."

Fluttershy looked confused. "The Dragon… _Kingdom_?"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention," Vidarr recalled, cursing under his breath for forgetting such information. "After you defeated Heimdallr two years ago, the spell that was placed on the dragons was broken, and the dragons can now see more clearly than they have in thousands of years. The ancient kingdom they once owned will soon be reborn and proud once more."

Fluttershy gave Vidarr half a smile, even though she felt it strain. "That's nice, I guess," she said, looking at the ground. She shot her eyes back up to Vidarr. "But I want you here, with me."

Vidarr shook his head mournfully. "I am sorry, but my kingdom and my people needs m–"

"_I_ _need you more_!" Fluttershy spat, her eyes leaking tears. "I can't do this alone, not without you. I need you by my side if I want to stand a chance of doing…" Her words faded away like a sudden wind when she felt a single finger from Vidarr's claw on her shoulder.

"I know for a fact that you do not need me by your side on this," Vidarr said, a warm, comforting smile on his face. "You have two Princesses by your side, ponies who have risen from the bottom to the top. And even without their guidance I know that you will succeed in this task. I believe in you, Fluttershy Firewing. You have more to give to this world in you than anypony knows – including yourself. Have faith in yourself, Dragonlord, and have faith in those around you. Without their support, and the strength you carry between you, none of you will get to Horsca."

He took his finger off Fluttershy's shoulder, and looked back to the moon, which was now fully over the horizon, and rising into the sky. He sighed. "I must leave while the night is young; the south lands are full of dangerous creatures for us dragons." He put a finger back on Fluttershy's shoulder. "**Måtte Vidarr's vinger beskytte deg og dine venner til den kommende stormen, og jeg ønsker dere alle lykke i verden** (May Vidarr's wings shield you and your friends from the gathering storm, and I wish you all the luck in the world)," he said.

Fluttershy, through teary eyes, gave Vidarr's finger a little nuzzle. "**Takk, Vidarr, for å frakte oss hit og reddet oss. Og måtte Vidarr's vinger beskytte deg mot onskapen i denne verden. Jeg håper du finner det du leter etter og hva vi trenger** (Thank you, Vidarr, for bringing us here and rescuing us. And may Vidarr's wings shield you from the evils of this world. I hope you find what you're looking for, and what we need)."

Vidarr smiled with thanks, took his finger off from Fluttershy's shoulder, then spun around and shot into the air. "We will meet in Horsca when I have finished business in the south! Farewell for now!" he called as he swiftly flew away.

Fluttershy's mane tried to fly with him, blocking out her vision for a moment as she tried to pull it back. Once she was able to see again, Vidarr was just a faint black dot in the night sky.

"Unbelievable," she said to herself exasperatingly, sniffing back her tears and clearing her cheeks. "Brings us all this way here, then tells me we're going the wrong way, and then leaves us to go on our own." She sighed as she turned back around, her head low and her ears flat. "I hope he was right about having faith in me; I barely have enough for myself at the moment." She sighed once more. "Right, I better tell the others what we talked about."

Clearing her throat, she broke into a trot to tell the others about what happened. "I wonder how well they'll all take it?" she asked herself.

* * *

"THOU MUST SURELY BE JESTING?" Luna yelled, using the Royal Canterlot Voice once Fluttershy stopped talking.

The pegasus could have sworn she had been shifted back a few inches from Luna's yelling. After altering her mane and tail straight, and rubbing down some of the hairs on her coat, she nodded meekly. "Um, sorry, Luna, but I'm not making this up. Before he left, Vidarr and I agreed that we should head north: to Horsca." She never told them how Vidarr asked her to lead them there, for she thought it would be rude if she told them that she was the leader now and they would have to do as she said. _'I'll do it discreetly, so that they don't even notice I'm doing it,'_ she had thought as she spoke.

Luna leaned back and groaned while rubbing her forehead with a hoof, while Spike put his claws in his face and groaned loudly as well. Cadence was the only one to sit in silence, with a look that said she was contemplating Fluttershy's idea. Fluttershy smiled gratefully at her.

"How exactly are we going to get to Horsca? Huh?" Spike asked. "We are miles away from there, and everything in between us and the horses wants to either kill us or turn us into stone." He bowed his head. "We're doomed. I might as well dig my own grave here and now."

"Now hold on for a second, no one needs to dig their own graves," Fluttershy said. "Look, Horsca, as I have said, is a far safer place than south and beyond, and Freya will certainly help us. I know that because she is my friend."

"And what if the Horscans are troubled by the same strife as Equestria is going through?" Luna pointed out. "They are still recovering from years of war with themselves. Any wounds towards each other will not be fully healed. This would be the right time to strike at their enemies."

Fluttershy shook her head doubtfully. "They won't be." She was about to say that Freya was too good a ruler to let the country fall apart that quickly, but she quickly bit her bottom lip when she realised she would insult Luna, Cadence _and_ Celestia. All three were great rulers as well, yet the country was falling apart faster than a group of apples bucked down from a tree. "I promise you. They won't be." Nevertheless, thanks to what Luna said, a seed of doubt had been planted in her mind; one she knew would grow and fester.

"But all the same, how are we going to get there now that Vidarr has left us?" Spike asked again.

"I'm not sure, Spike," Luna replied. "But I think heading north is a bad idea." Fluttershy's ears flattened and she pouted.

"How is it?" Everypony turned to face Cadence in surprise once she spoke. "I mean, you said yourself, Luna, that heading south was a bad idea. Now north is not exactly a great idea as well, especially now that we are here. However, like Fluttershy said it is safer than south and whatever lies that way. And besides, if we are careful, we may just be able to slip through and get to Horsca without raising any alarms." Cadence looked to Fluttershy and smiled admirably. "I don't know Fluttershy as much as I should, but from the time I have had with her I trust her completely on this, and if she says we can get there, then I believe her."

Fluttershy smiled gratefully at Cadence and lightly blushed at the praise. After a moment of silence and heavy thought, Luna sighed and nodded. "If you two think it's best we head north, then we shall head north."

Spike shrugged from where he sat. "I may not like it as well; too much walking on my part. But, if you all think north is the best way, then I can't stop you. Count me in as well."

The four companions nodded in agreement, with Fluttershy grinning from ear to ear. "Thank you. All of you." She moved closer to the fire and sat on her rump. "Now, let's try and find the safest route we can take to get to Horsca," she suggested. "Who has a map?"

Cadence and Spike looked at her oddly. "Um, Fluttershy? If you'd recall, we just broke out of Canterlot's prison with barely our freedoms," Spike reminded her. "The only one who should have got a map was you when we went back to your place."

Fluttershy's ears fell flat as she saw her dragon friend was right. "Oops. Sorry."

"Not to worry, dear Fluttershy. As it happens, I know a spell that allows me to form a map out of magic," Luna said. "I learnt it so I can discover how much of Equestria has changed in the past thousand years."

Fluttershy grinned at Luna. "Could we have a look at it, then? If you don't mind, of course."

Luna giggled while shaking her head. "Of course I don't mind." With that, she closed her eyes, and powered up her horn.

A dark blue aura clouded around Luna's horn, and from its tip a large bubble slowly emerged, with a large map of Equestria stretched across it. The bubble hovered in the air for a second, before coming down and landing flat in front of the three ponies and one dragon. "Right, so from what I can make out, we are here." She pointed to a single mountain far south of Appleloosa. "And we need to get to Horsca, which is here." She pointed to the country of Horsca, which was a large area on the map just right of the Crystal Empire, and cordoned off from the rest of Equestria by a wall of large mountains and wide rivers. "Now we just need to decide how to get there."

"Well," Spike suggested, "you two could simply teleport us to the north. You are powerful enough to do it, after all."

"We could teleport you all to the north," Luna agreed. "But using teleportation magic, especially in our kind, leaves a sort of magic residue that hangs in the air for a while, like smoke from a steam train. It can be traced easily by other winged unicorns, so my sister will know exactly where we are going, and would be able to catch us before we could recover from such a long trip."

"She won't have to," Fluttershy interjected. "My friends would probably have worked out at the same time I would try to head north later on. They would then try and catch us before we even make it to Horsca. At least, that's what I would do if I had Twilight's mind."

"So what does that leave us?" Cadence said. "Walking to Horsca? From here?"

"What else would you suggest, dear niece?" Luna snapped. "To take the train from Appleloosa to Canterlot, and from there to Horsca?" Cadence meekly shook her head, while Fluttershy shot a glare in Luna's direction for acting so harsh to her.

Luna sighed, and rubbed her head with a hoof. "Forgive me, Cadence, that was unfair on you," she said, raising another hoof in an apologetic gesture. "But yes, we'll have to walk. I would suggest flying since we most of us are flyers, but I know I'm not a fast flyer, and neither are you, Cadence, and you too, Fluttershy. Walking will be safer. It will not be without its risks, I can promise you that. But those risks are far fewer than any other option open to us."

"So the question is: how do we get there? East or west?" Spike said, breaking the moment of silence that existed between them.

The three ponies looked up at him with confused eyes. "What do you mean, Spike?" Fluttershy asked.

"Right," Spike explained, pointing at the map, "so Canterlot is right smack bang in the middle of Equestria, right?" The three ponies nodded. "Right, so we have to avoid the centre of Equestria as much as possible. So, if we could give Canterlot a wide berth by heading east or west from here, we could cling to the edges of Equestria and – hopefully, mind you – make our way to Horsca in relative safety."

The three ponies looked at each other as though they all had an epiphany. Fluttershy looked back at him, and smiled. "You have a great mind, Spike," she remarked.

Spike blushed in embarrassment. "Ah, it's nothing, really. That sort of thing happens when you have too many geography lessons with Twilight. But anyway, which way do we go from here: east or west?" The group fell silent once more as they looked at the map, figuring which way they could go.

"How about west?" Fluttershy suggested. Everyone looked at her for an explanation. "Well, if I was Celestia, I would send anyone sent to get us east, to Manehatten, Fillydelphia, or Baltimare, in the hope we might get a ship and head to the Griffon Kingdoms, or try that way to get to Horsca. If we take west, through Ponyville, and then through the Unicorn Range, then we could follow the road to Strutford and Detrots, and from there head on into Horsca." As she spoke, she placed a hoof on the bubble and created a yellow trail mark which ran through Ponyville, then through the Unicorn Range and straight up into Horsca. "There won't be anypony to stop us if we go through Ponyville since they would all be on one side of Equestria looking out for us while we slip on by the other side. What do you all think?"

Spike was nodding his head in approval, while Luna and Cadence looked at each other warily. "Clearly, you don't know my sister as well as I do, Fluttershy," Luna said. "She has been around longer than anypony on Terra, and knows a great deal on tactics and such. Even if she has whoever she will send after us heading east, she will have guards deployed around Ponyville in the likelihood, no matter how small, that we return for some reason."

"And besides," Cadence added, inspecting the map once more, "the road that leads to Ponyville from here goes through the Everfree Forest, and I don't think any of us intend to go in there."

Fluttershy looked at her, then back at the map quickly. Her eyes widened when she saw that their route, if they took that path, would indeed lead into the Everfree Forest. "Um, I-I think it's better that we take a safer path," she said shakily, shivering at the thought of such a journey.

"I thought as much," Luna said, smiling wryly. "I do agree with you on going west, though. However, I would suggest an alternative route."

"Then why don't we go _around_ Ponyville," Cadence suggested. She put her hoof down on the map, and ran it through the desert, past Ghastly Gorge, then went up beside the Everfree Forest and past a group of mountains and woodland east of Las Pegasus, all the while leaving a pink trail behind her hoof. "If we go that way, then head up through Whitetail Woods, then after that we could follow Fluttershy's plan."

Spike leaned over from his seating position and looked at what Cadence was planning. After a moment of studying it, he nodded in approval. "That would probably work," he said.

"I agree as well," Fluttershy said, nodding her head.

Luna nodded. "Then it's settled." With a quick burst of magic from her horn the map dissipated, becoming nothing more than small bodies of liquid. "Tomorrow we set out from here and head west, and once we're clear of the desert and in the dense woodland areas head north." Everyone nodded their heads in agreement to the plan.

Cadence let out a yawn. "Well I'm going to sleep. The day's events have been… tiring for me." Without a further word she set herself down onto her stomach and fell asleep almost instantly.

Fluttershy looked at her sadly, wishing there was a way she could help the poor mare from the nightmares that would inevitably come. "Can you help her, Luna?" she asked pleadingly.

Luna smiled comfortingly at the pegasus. "Have no fear for Cadence, dear Fluttershy, for I will guard her this night, as I do all nights," she explained, looking at her niece sweetly. She looked up at Fluttershy. "What about you? Will you be all right?"

Fluttershy nodded. "I think I'll be fine, thank you." She let herself fall onto her side and closed her eyes. "Goodnight, Luna."

"Goodnight, Fluttershy," Luna wished her. With that, Luna got up and walked away, disappearing into the darkness like a shadow.

Fluttershy peeped an eye open to watch her go. She was about to call out to ask if she was going to sleep, but then thought against it. _'She's the Princess of the night, silly,' _she thought. _'I imagine she doesn't need as much sleep as we do.' _She looked from where Luna disappeared to where Spike was, and saw him shifting to the opposite side of the campfire, away from her. Fluttershy felt her heart sink. "Um, Spike?" she whispered, hoping she didn't sound like she was pleading. "Would you be all right by yourself? I mean, you could sleep by me, if you want."

Spike looked at her with questioning dragon eyes, then shook his head and settled down. "I think I'll be all right, Fluttershy. Thanks anyway."

"Oh… o-okay, Spike," she said, her tone not bothering to hide her disappointment. "Remember, if you need anything, I'm just here."

Spike rolled about until he felt comfortable. "I will. Thanks again." He settled his head down and closed his eyes. "I'm glad you're with me out here, Fluttershy," he said drowsily, before falling into sleep.

Fluttershy's ears remained flat, crestfallen she didn't have something to hold and comfort._ 'Oh, why can't I be selfish for once?' _She started to shiver as the fire began to die out, and the cold desert night began to make itself known.

At home, in the winter, she would rely on her fluffy bed for warmth and a hug, and if that didn't work, then her animal friends or her teddy bear. Yet out here, she had none of those comforts. _'I should have taken my teddy bear.' _So she had to hold the only thing she can – herself. She wrapped her forelegs around herself tight, hoping that would help put her into a comfortable sleep.

Unfortunately, it didn't. Every time she closed her eyes she could see her friends coming towards her equipped with the Elements of Harmony, with Celestia just behind them with cold eyes as she was turned to stone. She felt herself begin to shiver as the image began to play repeatedly in her head. She lifted her head up and smacked herself lightly with a hoof, hoping that would rid it. The only thing it did was make her feel like an idiot.

She spread herself out once more and hugged herself even tighter, trying to think of a way to rid herself of this nightmare. Suddenly her mind drifted back to two years ago, when her father sang her a lullaby to ease her into sleep after her first encounter with Heimdallr. She hoped it would work, or else it would be a long night.

Hugging herself once more, she cleared her throat and began to sing softly:

"_Darkness, darkness, be my pillow. _

_Take my head, and let me sleep. _

"_In the coolness, of your shadow._

_In the silence, of your deep._

"_Darkness, darkness, hide my yearning._

_For the things, I cannot be._

"_Keep my mind, from constant turning. _

_Toward the things, I cannot see."_

It didn't take Fluttershy long to fall into an unpleasant sleep afterwards. Her last thoughts before her consciousness shut down for the night was, _'I will find you all again. Even if it takes me the rest of your lives, I will save you.' _


	5. Chapter 5

"Fluttershy?" a faint whisper flowed through Fluttershy's ears. When the pegasus responded with only a grumble, she received a hard push on the shoulder. "Fluttershy?" her name was whispered again, this time more abruptly, as if the speaker was losing patience.

Fluttershy opened her eyes, and groaned when she saw the faint sunlight shining directly into her eyes. "Come on, Fluttershy, we have to get going," the voice said again, this time more recognisable as Cadence's.

Fluttershy lifted her head up and looked up at Cadence, who was standing over her and prodding her gently on the shoulder, with a tired look in her eyes. "Do we have to go now?" she complained.

"I'm sorry, but yes, we have to," Cadence replied sternly, like a mother would with an unruly child. Her gaze softened a bit and she backed away from the smaller mare. "Rough night?"

Fluttershy sat up, and then nodded while rubbing her eyes. "Yes. A horrible night."

Cadence tilted her head, and looked at her sympathetically. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked as she sat down next to the smaller pegasus.

Fluttershy didn't want to recall the events that had ran through her mind the previous evening, but knew that she should do, for her sake more than anyone else's. "I dreamt I was back in Canterlot," Fluttershy started, looking at her hooves. "So many chains were wrapped tightly around my legs and my wings, and I had a collar around my neck, choking me. I could feel it getting tighter with every passing minute." As she spoke, she rubbed her neck as though it had been there. "I looked up, and saw all my former friends looking back at me, staring at me with such intense hate." She paused to shiver in fright as the image became frozen in her mind.

She felt Cadence drape a wing over her back, comforting her greatly. "Thank you, Cadence," Fluttershy said. She sighed, and quickly continued. "Then the Elements of Harmony were fired at me. I remember seeing a ray of colours coming towards me, and then I looked down and saw my legs going grey as I was turned to stone. All I could do is scream in terror as I was soon fully encased in stone, and then all I saw was darkness. I couldn't even scream anymore. I couldn't see, yet I could hear them all cheering, and Celestia calling Spike to stand beside my still form. It was horrible." She began shaking as the nightmare was now infused in her mind.

She suddenly felt something like a leaf go gently up and down her back. She looked up to see Cadence running her outstretched wing over it, smiling comfortingly at her. "It's okay now, Fluttershy. We're free from them all."

Fluttershy nodded. "For now at least." She shook the thought away, and felt her mind was once again blank, much to her relief. She looked back up at the former Princess. "What about you? Did you have a good night's sleep?"

Cadence cocked her head from side to side. "A bit. I first dreamt of being back in the Crystal Empire, with Shining in front of me, looking furious and in a rage I had never seen before. He started yelling in a language I couldn't understand, but I flinched and cried at every word. Before it got any worse, my mind went blank, and I had a dreamless night from then on." She looked over to Luna, who was checking through the bag Fluttershy acquired yesterday to see how much food and drink they had.

Fluttershy followed Cadence's gaze to Luna, and felt confused as to why. "You do know that Luna can go into our dreams, right?" Cadence enquired, glancing at Fluttershy with a raised eyebrow.

Fluttershy's eyes widened in horror, and she felt a blush form on her cheeks. "She can! Oh! Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! I- I… If she asks, I have no idea who that pony wa–" She was cut off by Cadence's laugh.

"Don't worry about that, Fluttershy, Luna only goes into those with nightmares to make sure all ponies are sleeping well at night. She stays well clear of normal dreams, so have no fear of her walking into your fantasies."

Fluttershy's shoulders slouched in relief. "Phew," she breathed. In fact, that does explain why her nightmare in Canterlot finished so suddenly, and she found herself back in the bunny field that she usually dreamt about. _'Thank you, Luna,' _she thought, smiling at her. She looked back at Cadence with a small smile. "I'm glad you had a better night than I did."

"Yeah, well, last night I wished that when I woke up the next day I would be back in the Crystal Empire, and in Shining's embrace…" Her voice faded away into the day, as did her small smile.

Fluttershy flexed out a wing, and draped it gently over Cadence, looking at her with great sympathy. "I wish I knew what to say or do to help you, Cadence. I really do."

Cadence smiled sweetly at her. "You're so sweet, Fluttershy." Her smile dissipated and she looked to the ground. "But there's nothing you can do to help me, except be by my side."

Fluttershy nodded. "And I will be, always." A silence lingered between them for a moment as the two collected their thoughts. "Cadence?" The Crystal Princess looked up. "What would happen if, say, I was right, and Shining and the others were controlled by some evil force? Would you still go back with him?"

Cadence sighed. "Even if you're right, Fluttershy, I couldn't. I can't just go back with him and pretend that none of this actually happened. Some of the things he said to me…" She shuddered briefly. "He said some things about me that he hated, and I know were true. I know I can be what he said to me sometimes, but I cannot change who I am, no matter how hard I try.

"I had hoped he would understand all that, and accept me for who I am, but I was wrong. It seems I've been wrong about a lot of things lately," she added darkly. "I would be living a lie if I did go back with him, one that I couldn't follow." She got back on her hooves and walked away from the pegasus, who watched her go with wide, devastated eyes and flat ears.

"Cadence, wait!" Fluttershy called, raising a hoof to stop her.

"There's no future between me and him, Fluttershy," she added, her voice breaking with emotion. She looked back at Fluttershy, her eyes tearful. "I know you care about everyone you know, but just accept that for my sake. You should get up and get ready to get going. It'll be best if we start off soon." She continued trotting up to Luna and Spike, who were stretching their legs and getting ready for the day to come.

Fluttershy, however, couldn't accept that. Cadence was right that they should never forget about the troubles of their past, but Fluttershy thought she was wrong that they should let it control their lives. She knew that, deep down, Cadence loved Shining still, and would gladly be with him again; she just needed a gentle push in the right direction. _'If I'm right, and Shining and everypony else is affected by something, then the evidence will be the push I need.'_ However, where she was going to find the strength to make that push, she had no idea. She just hoped Vidarr would find out wherever he was going.

"Are you up yet, Fluttershy?" Luna called.

Fluttershy raised a hoof in assurance. "I'm up. I'm coming." She got up onto all fours, gave each of her legs a quick stretch, and then began walking up to the others. As she walked, her mind went back to the other thing Cadence said. _'Have _I_ been living a lie?' _For the past two years she had been living like her time in Horsca had never occurred. She had tended to her animal friends, spent time with her pony friends, and that was that. She never went out and did what Dragonlords did: fight and kill until killed, mostly because she felt like she didn't need to, or want to. Was it really wrong to not follow what she was, and didn't want to be?

"You look like you have a lot on your mind," Spike remarked, making her break out of her train of thought. She stopped and blinked when she realised she was standing right in front of them.

Fluttershy looked at him and nodded. "Yeah, I do."

Spike smiled bravely at her. "We'll be fine. We've got the two of the most powerful ponies with us, and the greatest warrior on Terra. I'm sure we'll get to Horsca in no time."

"I hope so too," Fluttershy said as she kicked out a foreleg. "I just hope that we can get there peacefully."

"We all do," Luna said, looking out at what was before them. "But don't keep your hopes up that we will. Be prepared to spill blood when necessary, Dragonlord."

Fluttershy just nodded in response, mostly because she was too miserable and tired to argue. She looked from Luna to the desert they had to cross, and couldn't help but feel afraid. The desert carried on until it disappeared over the horizon. It was a dry, featureless plain of bright orange rock, with nothing between the ponies and dragon, and the blazing sun overhead.

Fluttershy gulped, not noticing that her body was lightly trembling in fear. _'What's there to be scared about, you scaredy pony?' _her mind asked. _'You fought and took down _two_ dragons for goodness sake! Surely you can get through this… I think.'_

Although she knew her mind was telling the truth, she didn't find it assuring. The first dragon she had defeated in battle was dead to begin with, and was controlled by the second dragon, who made it a bit easier for her to defeat him by shrinking in size and duplicating himself a hundred times over. Those two were naturally born creatures, whilst their opponent this time was the sun itself, blazing down on them as if Celestia had turned it up just to burn them out of the desert.

Yet despite the heat, and the barrenness of the land ahead of them, they had no choice but to go across. Fluttershy looked up at Luna and asked, "How long will it take us to get out of the desert?"

Luna looked at the sky in thought. "At a quick trot, then maybe we could make it out before nightfall at best," she answered after a moment. "If not, then two days at the least."

"That's good. So long as we're not out there for more than three days then we should be all right," Cadence said. "We just have to be careful with the water and food we have."

"I'll look after all that," Luna offered. She picked up the bag with her magic and strapped it around the bottom of her neck and rested the actual bag on her back. "There, now I suggest we get going while the sun is still low."

Fluttershy, Spike, and Cadence nodded in agreement. The four companions each took a deep breath to calm their nerves, and then fell in line as they made their way to the ramp leading down to the desert.

"Hold up," Fluttershy said after a few steps.

A few groans were made in response. "What is it _now_, Fluttershy?" Luna queried, looking back with an agitated stare.

"Well, I was just wondering… if you all want to, of course, if we could fly some of the way?" Fluttershy suggested. "I just want to stretch my wings for a while." She emphasised this by stretching her wings out and flapping them quickly.

The two winged unicorns looked at each other for a moment in consideration of Fluttershy's suggestion. "I wouldn't mind a bit of a flight as well," Cadence agreed after a moment of thought.

Fluttershy breathed a quiet sigh of relief. _'The sooner we're out of the desert, the better,' _she thought.

"I agree, too," Luna concurred, unfurling her wings from her sides. "It would be nice to have a fly after a long time sitting on Vidarr's back."

"But what about me?" Spike asked with a raised finger. Before anypony could answer, Cadence got hold of him with her magic, and dumped him onto her back. "Thanks, Princess."

"You're welcome. And please, Spike, just call me Cadence," she replied, smiling at him. "It's the least I can do after what you did for the Crystal Empire."

Fluttershy looked away and giggled behind her mouth when Spike blushed. "Ah, it was nothing, Cadence," Spike said, waving it away. "All I did was jump off a tower and give you the Crystal Heart."

"It was still more than what most did, Spike," Fluttershy intervened. She looked back towards their destination, and spread her wings out, her wing blades gleaming in the rising sun. "Are we all ready?" The two former Princesses nodded. Without another word, Fluttershy broke into a gallop as she moved towards the edge.

As the edge came up, Fluttershy prepared herself to jump. _'You've done this before, Fluttershy,' _her thoughts encouraged her. _'Just like Pinkie once said. A hop, skip and a jump. So move that little rump and jump!'_

Her eyes widened when she thought of Pinkie, and that random song she had sung while going up that mountain to encourage the dragon to leave. Her heart sunk a little at the thought, and it made her wish that Pinkie was here now, to sing them all a song of encouragement for what they are about to go through. _'I can't rely on Pinkie's randomness now,' _she thought. _'I'll have to encourage myself.'_

"Fluttershy, jump!" Luna cried out from behind her.

Fluttershy zoned back into concentration just as the edge was coming up. Thinking fast, she slowed down a bit, then hopped, skipped, then jumped into the air, with her wings spread out wide and her blades whistling as the wind tickled them. Before she could drop, she flapped her wings steadily, and felt herself begin to fly upwards. She stopped herself to hover for a moment just to get her bearings in order, and looked around to see Luna and Cadence hovering over the spots they were originally standing, looking at her oddly.

"What was with the hop?" Luna asked with an amused expression.

"And the skip and the jump?" Cadence added.

Fluttershy blushed pink in embarrassment as she tried to cover her face with her mane. "Just something an old friend told me once," she explained.

Luna and Cadence chuckled. "Well there's no point floating here," Luna said. She gestured with her head to what was in front of them. "Come, let us be away while the day is young."

Fluttershy nodded, then turned around from them and began to fly west, with Luna and Cadence close behind.

* * *

A few hours later, Fluttershy was beginning to wish for more water. Her mouth felt dry, and her whole body stunk of sweat; she could feel it trickling down her neck, back and rump. She had tried to keep her wings stretched out to shield her back from the sun, but it only made her feel more exhausted keeping them upright, so now they flopped at her sides and dragged themselves across the ground. _'Maybe flying wasn't such a good idea after all,'_ she mused.

They had flown for a long time, with the large rock they had slept on now lost from view altogether. Unfortunately for them, it was the only landmark around. In every direction, as far as Fluttershy's eyes could see, the landscape's only feature was a flat, barren desert, bright golden like the sun, and cracked up like the broken shell of an egg. It was after a few hours of flying that Fluttershy's left wing began to play up, which forced them all to land and walk the rest of the way.

Now, the sun was at its highest in the sky, and they were still nowhere near anywhere. "Luna?" Fluttershy called to the nightly winged unicorn up front.

Luna looked back. "Yes, Fluttershy?"

"I was wondering if we had any water to spare? If so, can I have a little bit please?" She quickly added, "Don't worry if we don't have enough."

Luna chuckled. "We have plenty, Fluttershy. Plenty to last us for days." She opened up the zip with her magic, and brought out a large canteen of water for Fluttershy to have. "Here," she said, levitating it over to the small pegasus. "Drink the lot. Do not worry, Dragonlord, for we have plenty to spare."

Fluttershy took it with a hoof. "Thank you, Luna," she said, before gushing down the entire canteen in a few gulps. Once gone, she took it away and exhaled a lot of air. "That feels better," she muttered to herself. She threw the now useless canteen away, and looked at each of her companions.

None of them seem to be faring any better, it seemed to her. Luna was up front, her head held high, yet the Dragonlord could make out tiny drips of sweat going down the pony's body. Cadence, who was far behind her, seemed to be doing worse. She looked like her head was slowly being pulled to the ground, her body was soaked with sweat far worse than any of them, and a few of her feathers were out of place.

Spike seemed to be the only one not minding the heat, for he was still on Cadence's back, laid out flat on his back with his head resting in his claws, seemingly asleep. _'No wonder poor Cadence is exhausted,' _Fluttershy thought. She looked down and saw a small stone on the ground; one not big enough to hurt anyone, yet would still wake up Spike.

She stopped walking, and waited for Cadence to come up alongside. When she did, she picked the pebble up with a hoof, aimed with her tongue sticking out, and then threw it with what energy she could spare. The rock tapped Spike on the head, bringing him upright in an instant as he looked around for whoever disturbed his naptime. "Fluttershy!" he shouted when he realised it was her. "What did you do that for?"

Fluttershy glared at him in response, then simply gestured for him to get off Cadence's back. Spike looked at Cadence for a moment as he considered what Fluttershy asked him, then back at her and nodded. Fluttershy smiled at him in thanks, and trotted on.

"Say, Cadence?" Spike asked from her back. "Mind if I get down and walk for a while? My legs could do with a stretch."

Cadence looked back at him with a small smile, her eyes sparkling with a small amount of relief. "Sure you can," she replied. She lowered herself onto her knees, and let Spike jump off at a run.

"Thanks, Cadence," he said, before running up to Fluttershy.

"Did I hurt you when I threw the stone?" Fluttershy asked worriedly once Spike was beside her. "I didn't mean to if I did."

Spike shook his head. "No you didn't. All the same, it might have been easier if you had just asked."

"I wasn't thinking straight," Fluttershy responded. "Sorry."

Spike waved the apology away with a claw. "Don't be, and I wouldn't be surprised if you weren't thinking straight. We all have a lot on our minds."

Fluttershy smiled at him, glad she was forgiven. She suddenly noticed something in his eyes she rarely saw in him. A bout of curiosity and interest. "What about you, Spike?" she queried. "What do you have on your mind that involves me?"

Spike gave her a look of disbelief. "How did you know I wanted to ask you something?"

"You just looked like you wanted to ask me something, that's all," Fluttershy replied with a shrug. "So anyway, what is it you wanted to ask?"

Spike nodded. "I was wondering, if you could or are willing, to tell me more about the Dragonlords?"

Fluttershy's small smile faded a little. "Like what?"

"You know, how they came about, what they did, that sort of thing. When you were telling us about them yesterday, and how you defeated Heimadale or whatever his name was, I was intrigued, to put it one-way. I just wanted to know more about them, because they sounded awesome."

Fluttershy wanted to say that there was nothing awesome about an order of killers, but went against it. Spike was still a baby dragon and, like most children who didn't know any better, was still naïve about such things. "Oh… okay, I think." She cleared her throat then began to tell the history of the Dragonlords, loud enough so that everypony else could hear as well incase if they were interested.

"Okay, so um… Where to begin? Uh… Oh yes! At the start, I suppose. The Dragonlords were a knightly order of warriors formed nearly five thousand years ago to protect everyone that lived, and anyone that couldn't protect themselves. They were made up from the strongest earth ponies, the fastest pegasi and the most powerful unicorn magi.

"They were formed in the aftermath of the Great War, when a great dragon king called Yngvi, ordered his dragons to attack every nation that was caught in the conflict, and restore the peace. Unfortunately, despite the strength and power of the dragons, they failed, and Yngvi's son, Meili, was killed in the resulting battles.

"Afterwards, Yngvi was banished from the Dragon Kingdom by the other dragons for violating the code of peace the dragons had formed to protect the races of Terra. Yngvi, devastated with his loss and dismayed at the hatred these creatures had for each other, claimed that they should no longer exist, and vowed to wipe everything out. After a hundred years, he used the sun's energy to give himself a new identity and form. With this magic, he became Heimdallr, the self-proclaimed Illuminator of the World, and he set about to purge the earth with fire.

"He began by annihilating the kingdom of Ferghana, the country from where the story of the creation of Hearts and Hooves day came about. After demonstrating his powers there he moved on and wiped out at least four races, and had brought several other races close to extinction."

Cadence, Luna and Spike looked at her in horror. "That sounds horrible," Cadence said.

"It was," Fluttershy agreed with a nod. "Heimdallr forced me to see the destruction of Ferghana. I couldn't do anything to help anypony; all I could do was watch as Heimdallr demolished the place and burned everything that lived there."

She shuddered quickly in remembrance, and then continued. "After a while, Vidarr the First, the greatest of the dragons, ordered his elite dragon warriors to attack Heimdallr and bring him down. They all failed.

"Once he had defeated the dragon warriors, Heimdallr turned on the Dragon Kingdom itself. Using a spell he had learnt from Discord, or another one of his race, he manipulated the minds of every dragon that lived, turning them towards greed, and selfishness. The resulting spell destroyed the Dragon Kingdom, as every dragon tried to tear each other apart for its riches.

"Yet somehow, Vidarr managed to hold onto his mind. In a last desperate act, he summoned the strongest earth ponies, the fastest pegasi and the most powerful unicorns to the ruins of their kingdom. There, using ancient and forgotten magic, and splitting his body and soul into little pieces, he gave it to the two thousand ponies brought before him.

"Vidarr was killed in the process, but he gave himself up knowing that the ponies he had chosen would be able to defeat Heimdallr where many others failed. With improved hearing and eyesight, the acquirement of a whole new language, a stronger skeleton and body and an increase in their natural lifespan, they tracked Heimdallr over Horsca and defeated him in a great battle."

Fluttershy paused as her ears fell flat and her head dipped. "But they didn't kill him. Instead, they locked him up in a prison beneath a huge lake; with water so cold you would freeze to death in seconds. They simply left him down there and went on to other things."

"So, why didn't they finish what they started?" Luna asked. "Surely anypony could see that leaving that monster alive was a great mistake."

"It was a great mistake, Luna," Fluttershy agreed, "and the Dragonlords paid for it with their existence. Most of the Dragonlords were blindingly arrogant, unable to see that keeping Heimdallr alive was a too dangerous risk. Some saw through it but were always silenced before it could be acted upon. While the Dragonlords bickered amongst themselves, or fought against far lesser threats, Heimdallr began a war of destruction against the Dragonlords, and hammered them until recently, when it was only me, and my father left."

Spike gasped. "Your father?" Fluttershy looked at him and nodded. "But, Twilight told me you were raised at an orphanage."

"I was, Spike. My father left me there when I was one month old."

Spike looked disgusted. "Why would somepony do that? That's just wrong."

"I agree with Spike on this one," Luna agreed. Cadence nodded as well. "It seems a mighty despicable thing to do to one's own daughter. Unless, it was without proper reason. Why did your father leave you at the orphanage?"

"Because my father loved me and my mother too much," Fluttershy answered. "He knew I had Dragonlord blood in me, and knew that my mother wouldn't have approved of this. Neither did he. He didn't want me to lead the life he had, one of adventure, death and destruction, so he gave me up to see me safe." She paused to chuckle at something. "It's a shame I couldn't escape that fate."

Her three companions nodded in understanding. "So, how did you become a Dragonlord?" Cadence enquired.

Fluttershy shuddered once more at the memory. "Do you all remember the sudden dragon attack Ponyville suffered two years ago?"

They all nodded sadly. "I remember it clearly," Luna said grimly. "I was with my sister for lunch when we were delivered the news. I still remember my sister's face turning into one of horror as she read the letter detailing what had transpired in the town. I remember her dropping everything and running out the door with tears in her eyes. She didn't even stop to tell me what's wrong." Her eyes widened when she realised what Fluttershy was getting at. "So you… and when you said yesterday you were killed by dragon flames… that was _that_ day?"

Fluttershy nodded. "Yes, Luna. The dragon killed me, and after a while I rose from the ashes, completely re-healed, and sent the dragon packing. It was then where my true purpose was shown to me."

"So," Spike quickly changed the subject, "what happened to your father? How comes I haven't seem him around yet?" The others glared at Spike for saying such a thing, for it was obvious to them what did happen to her father.

Fluttershy brought her head low, and her mane drooped over her eyes. "Because he died two years ago, Spike. I watched him get picked up by the teeth of a dragon, then hurled through the air and back onto the ground. By the time I dealt with the dragon, he was already dead. I never said goodbye to him. I never even got the chance to say how much I loved him."

She looked past her mane when she felt a claw touching her shoulder, to see Spike looking back at her with sad eyes. "I'm so sorry, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy smiled at him bravely, and gave him a quick nuzzle. "It's okay, Spike. I know he's all right now." She looked up at the sky and smiled, wondering if her father and mother were watching her right now from the heavens.

Spike tilted his head in confusion. "So, uh," Spike moved on, "Are you sure there are no other Dragonlords?"

Fluttershy shrugged. "There aren't any at the moment. I've been keeping my ears close to the ground for two years to hear of any news of weird happenings like what happened to me elsewhere in Equestria, but so far there have been none. But maybe one day there will be another." She paused to sigh sadly. "Just not from me."

"Ah, isn't that a bit harsh on yourself?" Cadence said gently. "I know from Twilight how shy you are, but I'm sure you will find yourself a stallion someday to give you children."

"That's just it, Cadence," Fluttershy said, shaking her head. "I can't have children."

Everyone's jaw dropped. "You mean you're… barren?" Spike whispered.

Fluttershy nodded, and then smiled bravely while cautiously draping a wing over Spike. "It's okay, Spike. It was years ago I learnt I would never have children, and I don't see the point being miserable about it anymore."

Luna turned her head back around, her expression in a state of puzzlement. "Hold on. You said that when you were killed by the dragon you were completely re-healed, right?" Fluttershy nodded in response. "Well then surely your ability to bring life was re-healed when you were reborn as a Dragonlord. Right?"

"Actually, Luna, Twilight thought of that about a year ago," Fluttershy replied with a small grimace. "She said that maybe my reproductive organs might have been healed when I became a Dragonlord, so me and her went to the hospital to get them checked out." Her ears flattened. "And we learnt that I still can't have foals. I came out of that hospital with only wounded pride."

She looked away from them all for a moment as she quietly sniffed up her tears. Her hopes of one day having children to call her own were dashed with just a few words. She remembered as they headed back into town Twilight trying to comfort her, which worked to some degree. They parted ways after a cup of tea and a small exchange of words.

A sudden, horrible thought made its way into her mind. What if that day was one of Twilight's nasty ways to get at her? What if, when she left, Twilight laughed about it, then ran off to tell the others? _'NO!'_ Fluttershy yelled in thought. She knew Twilight too well to think she was capable of such cruelty. That was above the unicorn.

However, the sudden image of Twilight smirking evilly as she left the library now stained her mind, putting her thoughts and beliefs of her friends into doubt. What if her friends were always like that when she wasn't around? What if they truly did hate her? _'No, no, no, no, NO!' _she shouted once more. They were her friends. They were all part of the Elements of Harmony – at least, _she_ once was. But even that was taken from her, ripped from her very soul. Yet, she would live by what it stood for, as she has always done; the Element chose her for a reason, after all.

She was taken out of thought when she suddenly saw something to the left of her in the desert. Something that shouldn't have been there. "Luna! Cadence! Spike!" she called to the others, who had walked a bit further while she had lagged behind.

Her three companions stopped, then quickly turned back to her. "What is it?" Cadence asked once they were up close to her.

Fluttershy just pointed to the thing. "Do any of you know what that is?" Her fellow travellers looked to where she was pointing, and gasped.

Thanks to being in the desert for seemingly a long time, the old buildings and walls could easily have been mistaken for natural rocks. One building was a massive bulk of wood and stone at the base, while a piece of it spiralled into the sky like a spear stuck in the ground. One of the other buildings, one that looked to have been a rectangular shaped object, was a heap of rubble, while around it was the remnants of what appeared to have been an outer wall.

"A part of the Dotted Wall," Luna stated, a look of joy on her face.

"Um, excuse me, but what is it?" Fluttershy asked, looking at her expectantly.

"One of the hundreds of forts and castles that were built as a wall across the border of southern Equestria to keep the changelings out of our lands," Luna explained. "When me and my sister came to power, we were the only ones who could defend our country from enemies. The greatest of these were the changelings, who attacked our country with ruthless efficiency, sacking towns, killing those who opposed them, and draining the love out of those that had surrendered.

"Me and my sister drove them back several times while the guard regained strength, but we were just two against thousands. We couldn't be everywhere at once. Therefore, we literally banged our heads together to come up with a plan to try to keep them out forever.

"At first we came up with a large wall that stretched across the south, but quickly came to realise what little good that would do when your enemies can simply fly over. So we had these forts and castles built like a wall, with large beacons at the top of the towers that would warn Equestria of any threat from the south. Annoyingly, the changelings didn't come after they were built, so they were garrisoned for a period of time, then abandoned. Shame really. I was looking forward to bashing more changeling skulls together."

Fluttershy and Spike looked at each other, sickened by Luna's thirst for such brutality. "Well," Cadence said, smirking, "if _somepony_ would have been there at my wedding a bit earlier, then maybe she might have had the chance to do just that."

"Hey, in my defence, I was busy with another _very_ important affair," Luna countered. "One so extremely important the entire night sky would crumble apart without it."

"Like what?" Fluttershy and Spike asked together.

"Like taking a doze every once in a while!" Luna answered, rather proudly by the tone of her voice. "My sister should do it more often. Probably might have helped to slow her descent into insanity." She turned away from the others to look back at the ruined castle.

"Did she really sleep through the whole changeling invasion?" Fluttershy whispered into Cadence's ear.

"Oh yes," Cadence whispered a reply, nodding. "My aunt could sleep through a volcanic eruption if she wanted to." She was about to say more, but Luna turning around to face them brought them her attention.

"Okay, if I remember me and my sister's designs, these castles were connected by an old path that was weaved together by magic. If it still exists, we can use the path to make our way out of the desert before we start going in circles."

"Well that would be hard since we've been walking in a straight line all this time," Spike muttered to Fluttershy. The pegasus snorted in a vain attempt to suppress a giggle.

"You two can laugh," Cadence whispered to them, trying hard not to chuckle also, "but Luna doesn't have a very good sense of direction; if we kept following her lead and not whatever she has planned, we would probably end up back in Canterlot." With that, the three began to snicker while trying to be discreet about it, and failing miserably.

Luna scrunched up her nose at the three. "If I recall, it was only _once_ that I got myself and my sister lost in the wilderness. As you can see, we came out okay. Now please be silent while I try to concentrate."

She then turned around and allowed her horn to start glowing its dark blue colour. Fluttershy felt herself leaning forward in anticipation for what could happen, as did Spike. After a minute or so, the colour surrounding her horn faded, and the world went silent once more. Luna opened her eyes and stepped back, waiting alongside the others for what she just summoned.

At first, much to Fluttershy's disappointment, nothing happened. Then suddenly, a small bright silvery orb appeared with a gentle humming sound. It shot out of the ground and flew into the air like a firework, before descending gently back to the ground like a balloon and floated above the ground like a jellyfish, pulsating a silver light every now and then.

Fluttershy felt her mouth open in surprise, and utter delight. "Is that a wisp?" she asked, her eyes widening.

Luna looked her way, and nodded with a wry smile. In a yellow flash, Fluttershy was next to the creature of magic and examining it to the point her muzzle was touching it. "It's so _cute_!" she exclaimed, weaving her way around it with a look of sheer delight.

Cadence, Spike and Luna could only roll their eyes at the scene. If Fluttershy noticed, she didn't care or show it. Her entire focus was on the little adorable ball of glowing light in front of her. The wisp slowly moved towards her, and gave her something akin to a comforting nuzzle on her cheek. Fluttershy's cheeks went bright pink, but she held a warming smile as she returned its affections. The nuzzle from the wisp felt like it was a way of the creature saying that everything would be fine, and Fluttershy believed it.

'_If Twilight were here, she would be just as delighted as I am,' _she thought. Her mind quickly imagined Twilight dancing around the wisp with a delighted grin on her face, while the others – minus herself, for she would be dancing alongside her – looked on perplexedly. Her ears fell flat as she thought about Twilight, and the others. _'I would do anything to have things be the way they once were,'_ she thought sadly.

Another thought told her she _was_ doing something now to make things right again. The whole journey she was about to undertake was just the start of what would be her toughest test as a Dragonlord, and she knew if she failed, she could never save her friends, or Celestia, or all of Equestria, from whatever held them. _'I will not fail,'_ she thought. The wisp gave off another pulse of light, brighter than the last, as if it was saying, _I know you won't_.

A sudden sound like popping made her squeak in fright and jump up and away from the wisp. She turned around, only for her eyes to widen in delight even more to the point she thought they might fall out. One by one, wisps began to appear from out of the ground, forming a curved but aligned path that began to grow longer and longer into the distance and heading west.

Luna chuckled at the look on Fluttershy's face, which was one of sheer disbelief. "Me and my sister summoned these wisps at the creation of these castles," Luna explained. "Wisps are creatures that are always willing to help a traveller lost and alone in the most isolated places." She looked around to address them all. "Should any of you ever get lost, and find yourself alone, think hard and offer a silent prayer, and the wisps will come to help you."

The two ponies and one dragon nodded. "We'll remember that, aunt. Thank you," Cadence said, smiling.

Luna nodded, then gestured with her head towards the wisp path. "Come on, then. Let us make haste while my sister's sun shines above us." She turned around, and broke into a trot to follow the wisps while they stayed put. Cadence and Spike followed quickly after her.

Fluttershy let out a sigh as she broke into a trot to catch up to them. She stopped and looked back when she heard a long hum from behind her. She watched with sad eyes as the first wisp sank back onto the ground, and then evaporated like a puddle of water, till there was nothing left to say it was there.

"Such a beautiful creature," she whispered to herself. She turned away and broke into a canter to catch up to the others, her fears and troubles now plaguing her mind even greater than before.

* * *

The rest of the day's journey, to the point when the sun was at the edge of the horizon, was mostly done in silence, save for the sound of the humming from the wisps as they appeared and disappeared as they trotted swiftly past. Fluttershy felt a pang of sadness flow through her every time she heard a wisp fade out of existence behind her.

It seemed to her that the wisps were a metaphor to life itself; bright and beautiful at the start, yet it eventually fades away and returns to the ground from whence it came. Although that was the way of life, it was a sad thing to think about, and Fluttershy hated thinking about the sad aspects of life.

"Something on your mind, Fluttershy?" The young Dragonlord shot her head up to see Luna was now walking next to her, looking at her with concern.

"Um, yes, quite a bit actually," Fluttershy answered with a few tiny nods.

"Care to share?" Luna asked, tilting her head upwards a little.

Fluttershy looked back at where the path once was. "I was just thinking about all those wisps, and what could have happened to them."

Luna looked back with her at the former path they took. "Ah yes. Well have no fear for them, Fluttershy Firewing, for wisps cannot die. They simply return to the ground and await their next summons," she answered.

Fluttershy felt relieved to know that they never actually died, but she still couldn't understand where they came from. "Luna? Don't worry about answering if you don't know, of course, but I was just wondering: where do wisps come from?"

Luna smiled at Fluttershy's rather inquisitive nature. "Wisps are creatures of magic," she replied. "So naturally, wisps are born in the place where magic itself is stored."

Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion. "Then, where is magic stored?" she asked.

Luna's smile grew wider, forming into a thin grin. "Magic exists between the three realms, my dear Fluttershy: Tartarus, Terra and Paradise. It is there where magic stays, and at certain points across Terra where it seeps into our world like lava.

"There are a few stories relating to the immaterium, as it is known. At the creation of the world, and the three realms, magic connected the pieces of rock that floated in space like putting a jigsaw together, only this time the hold was stronger than the hold of glue. However, even the strongest glue can break and crack. When the dragons emerged as the first race, they found tears across Terra where magic seeped out and spread across the earth. The longer they remained near it, the more they became exposed to it. Eventually, they were gifted with the abilities of breathing fire, and creating other magic spells. They became the first magi of Terra.

"Another story involves the creation of unicorns. About two thousand years after the creation of the three realms, a large group of earth ponies were wandering across the world, seeking a new home and a better life for themselves. Eventually, they came across a large tear that rested on the face of a mountain; only they thought that it was an entrance of a cave. So, they proceeded in, all of them without fear. For their bravery, they were rewarded. They emerged on the other side alive, but not unchanged. For one, their minds were now fused with the immaterium, allowing them to use the magic that flowed there through the horns that now protruded from their heads.

"Of course, nopony knows if that one is true or not, but it is a great tale that you wish was real. Don't you think?"

Fluttershy looked at her perplexedly, unsure of how to take the conversation further; the pegasus felt like she was the worst pony to have a long, casual talk with. Therefore, she let out a, "hmm," in agreement, and then looked away from Luna and began to gaze at the scenery. The desert had begun to take life all around them, with cacti scattered about the landscape, and tall white husks of what had been trees appeared occasionally.

As well as natural objects, the path of wisps took them passed more castles, some in better condition than others. The first castle they saw after the one they had discovered was just a pile of rubble, the second had its walls missing, the third had its walls but no towers, and the forth was relatively intact, but despite Spike's wishes to rest there, they cantered on, eager to get out of the desert by day's end. A hundred more castles passed them by since then, and just when they thought they were nearing the end of the desert, they would walk over another dune, and find many more miles of desert ahead of them.

"What else is on your mind?" Luna said suddenly, tilting her head a little.

Fluttershy spread out her right wing quick, gave it a shake, with her wing blades making a whistling sound as she did so, and then folded it back to her side again. "Sorry, just had an itch," she explained, grinning sheepishly. "But I was thinking about how my friends, Celestia, and nearly everypony just turned against us and each other like they have." In fact, that was what had been in her mind for most of the day's journey, thinking over what could have caused the sudden change in her friends' demeanour.

Luna let out a sigh, as though she was tired of this. "You really think that my sister and your friends have been altered to turn against us?"

"I don't _think_, Luna. I believe," Fluttershy replied. Before her mind could tell her to stop before she went too far, she asked, "Why don't you believe me? I thought you would know your sister better than to think she could sink as low as she did."

Luna glared at her, making Fluttershy shrink back fearfully. "Do not tell me how I should know my own sister!" she hissed.

Fluttershy used her mane as a shield across her face. "Sorry," she squeaked. "I… I didn't mean to cause offence. Please don't be mad at me."

Luna's gaze softened quickly, as though she regretted what she just said. She looked away from her, sighing. "I can't be mad at you, Fluttershy, because you're right," she said, her voice breaking. "I don't believe you because I barely know Celestia anymore."

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy enquired, tilting her head in confusion. "When she came round for tea sometimes, she spoke very fondly of you. It sounded like you were both close."

"Oh, we were close, Dragonlord," Luna replied. "Once, we never left each other's side. However, that closeness has faded away over the past four years."

She let out a sigh, and continued to speak. "When me and her were little, we sang together, played together, and when we got older and took over Equestria we _ruled_ together. We did everything together: founded new cities, created new jobs, created the Everfree Forest; all of Equestria was forged by _us_. Now look at it. Celestia has managed to forge _all_ of this." She gestured with a sweep of her hoof at all of Equestria. "She did this, and more, all on her own in my absence. When I came back, I expected Equestria to change, but never like what I saw in my time to travel the country.

"As I travelled the land to see what had changed, I saw that she had made Equestria into her own image, one of order and harmony, while my part had faded into nothingness. I thought we could be more sisterly again once I had returned, leave out the politics for one day and concentrate on being family again, but even that has been taken away from me. We once played and sang together, now her time is made up creating new laws and listening to other ponies' problems, but never my own. Her and me rarely speak now, and when we do, it's always about politics, the way the country is ruled, and so on and so forth. It is never about ourselves or anything else dear to us, like it used to be. If it wasn't for her cutie mark, I would think a different pony was ruling the country."

She looked back at Fluttershy, her eyes glistening with tears. "I wish I could believe you, Fluttershy. I really do. But I just can't. I'm sorry." She closed her eyes in a bid to fight back tears.

Fluttershy felt her heart snap at the pain Luna was in, and knew in an instant what she had to do. She jumped up and wrapped her forelegs around the neck of the night Princess, stopping the two ponies as Fluttershy hugged her. Luna opened her eyes, shocked by the sudden gesture. "It's okay, Luna," Fluttershy said softly, pulling her head back to look at her. "I don't blame you for not believing me, for I'm finding it difficult to believe myself sometimes. Ever since we fled Canterlot my mind has been plaguing me with the ideas that my friends have never really been my friends. Yet I refuse to give in to those thoughts, mostly because I've known my friends for so long that I know they could never be like what they were in Canterlot."

Fluttershy forfeited her hold of Luna, and hovered back from her, her wing blades whistling as they swung up and down. "If I knew how to change your mind, I would come out and say it. But I don't. So all I am going to ask of you is to stand beside me, and help me uncover the truth. Would you do that for me, please?"

Luna looked deep into her eyes, making Fluttershy think she was looking into her fractured soul. Eventually, the emotionless look she was getting from the Princess faded away, as her lips curled into a smile. "You have a kind heart, Fluttershy. I can see why you once bore the Element of Kindness."

Fluttershy blushed bashfully, and looked away, her mane flowing across her face. "Thanks," she squeaked from behind her mane. She opened her mouth to speak again, but Spike's excited calling pulled their attention.

"Luna! Fluttershy! Come and have a look at this!" he called.

The two ponies looked forward to see that Cadence and Spike had moved to the top of a small sand dune that stretched itself out like a wall. _'Wow,'_ Fluttershy thought as her eyes moved across the length of the dune. _'It's incredible what you see until you are right up close to it.'_

"Let's go see what this is about, shall we?" Luna asked. Fluttershy nodded, and together the two galloped up the slope to the top of the dune, not stopping until they were standing beside Cadence and Spike and the line of wisps. Upon reaching the top, they instantly saw what had gotten Spike so excited, and their eyes widened in delight, and relief.

Ahead of them stretched roughly another mile of desert, with a ragged line of wisps stretching to the horizon. After that, the land was covered in a natural green. Across the horizon they could see a wall of forest, with trees taller than most Equestrian houses, and to the right, roughly five to seven miles away, was a large hill surrounded by woodland. And at its summit, standing high and proud, was what appeared to be a relatively intact tower of a castle, the rest of it obscured by a dense woodland.

"That looks like a suitable place we can spend the night," Cadence said, pointing at the tower.

Luna's eyes squinted as she made out the castle's tower. "I concur," she said a moment later, her eyes returning to their normal size. She looked towards the sun, which was now starting its descent under the horizon. "It is getting late, and I don't think we could travel much further and find a more suitable place to camp for the night."

Fluttershy and Spike nodded at each other in agreement. Fluttershy suddenly picked up a faint sound of whistling through her ears, almost like a strong wind. She looked behind her, and her eyes widened in horror. "And not a moment too soon," she said, poking Luna on the side. "Look!" she shouted, pointing from the direction where they came.

The two ponies and one dragon looked behind them, and gasped in horror. Behind them, a long distance away, was a huge wall of sand and wind, swirling about as though a twister was being formed. "A sandstorm," Luna stated. She brought a foreleg up to her forehead to block out the sun, and squinted her eyes to see it clearer. "And a big one at that."

"You think?" Spike muttered sarcastically.

"How far away do you think it is?" Cadence asked, fidgeting nervously as she gazed at the wall of dust and sand.

"I would say a few hours away," Luna reckoned assuredly. "We should be able to get to the castle in time if we're fast enough."

"I don't think so," Fluttershy objected, shaking her head. She lifted a hoof up, licked the base of her hoof, and brought it up into the air. The wind was strong, and getting stronger with every inch the sandstorm was closing the distance between them. "If I'm right, that sandstorm will be on us in less than half an hour," Fluttershy calculated. She hoped her guess was wrong, but she was incredibly fascinated about sandstorms in school to be vastly incorrect.

"So what do you propose?" Luna queried fearfully.

"Basically… run," Fluttershy answered as she began to back away.

The others didn't need a second telling. Cadence tossed Spike onto her back, and then the three began to gallop as fast as they could go towards the ruined castle, with each of them looking back every now and then to see the top of the sandstorm beginning to appear over the dune wall.

After a mile of running, the dead, golden lands of the desert began to disappear, and around them brownish grass began to emerge from the ground. Fluttershy could feel her breath beginning to grow more hoarser as they ran. Her legs, especially her hind legs, began to ache and groan in protest at the excessive use they were going through. The pain she felt running from her legs made her want nothing more than to fall down and rest. Yet her mind told her to keep going, knowing if she did, she would be engulfed by the sandstorm, and wouldn't come out again.

In front and behind her, Luna and Cadence were running with ever tiring stamina. She could hear her friends' breaths begin to sob as they tried to regain their breaths and keep up the pace. She could see that both of them were an inch away from giving up and falling down, but after looking behind to see the sandstorm was beginning to come closer, they gained an extra boost that kept them going. "Don't stop!" Fluttershy goaded them hoarsely.

Eventually, the land was beginning to turn greener and brighter as they finally left the desert and were back in the grasslands. Fluttershy felt herself begin to slow down, but looked up again to see the tall tower of the castle coming ever closer to them, beckoning them to keep going. So that is what Fluttershy did; she continued to run.

She looked behind once more to see how they were doing, and her eyes widened when she saw the sandstorm, although having lost momentum since they left the desert, was still coming at them at a dangerous rate, as though some other force drove it forward. She quickly saw that they would be caught in it at the speed they were going, and felt her heart sink. She looked towards the castle to see it was too far to reach in time, and felt her heart sink even further. _'Guess this is it,' _she thought sadly. _'And this time there will be no one to fly us–' _Her eyes widened as that thought came into her head, and how incredibly stupid she felt at forgetting the one thing she was born with – again.

"Our wings!" she cried to Luna and Cadence. "Fly the rest of the way! We can use the wind of the sandstorm to push us away faster!"

Luna and Cadence heard her instantly, and spread their wings and took to the air. Fluttershy followed suit quickly afterwards, with her wing blades singing in the wind. As soon as her legs left the ground, she felt herself being pushed forward by the strength of the wind. Normally she would panic or try to regain control of her wings, but this time she used the wind as a guide, and trusted it. She stretched her forelegs in front her, stretched her hind legs out to give her a more streamlined appearance, and with her wings working with the wind behind her, pushed forward at a speed that soon put her, and her friends, out of harm's way.

After a while of flying, and trying to keep control, the three winged ponies finally arrived above the ruined castle, and quickly inspected it. The castle had what remained of an outer wall that was shaped like a large square around the main keep. The main keep had a main hall that was shaped like a cuboid, while another part of the keep was to its right and shaped like a cube, with a near-destroyed single tower at the top left corner of the building.

Although there was more, the three ponies and one dragon were more concerned about shelter from the sandstorm coming at their tails, so they were relieved to see the main hall's roof was still largely intact, giving them ample shelter from the storm. "With haste, friends!" Luna shouted as she nose-dived through a large hole in the roof.

Cadence whispered to Spike, "Hold on tight, and don't let go," before diving head first into the hole after Luna. Fluttershy looked behind her to see the sandstorm coming up close now, then followed her companions at a more relaxed rate, feeling glad that they were now safe from everything.

As soon as she came through the hole, and out of its way, Luna charged up her horn, and sent a beam of dark blue light at the whole, creating a black shield to protect them from the storm. "There," Luna said breathlessly. "We should be safe… now." With that said, she closed her eyes, and fell to the ground with a loud thud.

Fluttershy's eyebrows shot to the top of her head as she looked at Luna's unconscious form. "Oh, you poor thing," she whispered, tilting her head in sympathy. She wished she had a blanket to give her for a moment, but quickly realised she didn't bring anything this time, not even her medallion containing the picture of her parents. Only her weapons. A loud thud behind her made her jump out of her skin, before realising it was only Cadence falling into unconsciousness as well, and Spike too, making Fluttershy smile softly at the way his small form was pressed against Cadence's for comfort.

She looked up when she heard the wind beginning to howl, and realised the storm was now outside and blowing fiercely about them. _'It should pass soon,' _she thought. _'I'll give it an hour before it dissipates completely.' _However, until it did pass there was nothing to do, except for what her companions were doing right now. _'I could do with some shut eye myself.'_

She lowered her hind legs until she was sitting on her haunches, and then lowered the rest of her body down until her head was resting on her forelegs. She shifted about for a bit until she felt comfortable, and when she was, she closed her eyes and fell asleep with the wind and the sandstorm moaning and whistling into her ears.


	6. Chapter 6

Voices flowing through her ears like the morning song of birds jolted Fluttershy into opening her eyes. She blinked a few times until her vision cleared and could make out the hall she and her companions were in. Her legs didn't feel as achy as they were whilst walking through the desert, and she felt well refreshed and ready for another day's journey. She let out a loud, long yawn as she brought her head up, and quickly spotted Luna, Cadence and Spike sitting together beside a wall, and speaking in loud whispers.

Her three companions whipped their heads around upon hearing Fluttershy's yawn, and collectively smiled when they saw the pegasus getting up. "Good evening, Fluttershy," Luna greeted her with a small bow of her head. Spike waved joyfully at her, while Cadence only smiled.

Fluttershy stood up straight, and moved her mane out of the way of her face while quickly straightening some of it down upon feeling some of it was out of place. "Good evening, everyone," she greeted as she trotted over to sit alongside them. She turned her head to look through one of the broken windows, and confirmed to herself that it was definitely night time. A few clouds obscured many of the stars, but some shone through, lighting up the broken hall.

At the back end of the hall was what were the remains of a large hearth, blackened and crumbling with age. Left of it was what was left of a door, and behind it was the stairs leading to the top of the tower the four of them saw getting here. A table that had once stood at the hall's centre, and stretched right down from one end to the next was now a broken and rotten corpse of one, with the benches in the same state. The black metallic door at the front end of the hall was the only thing that was largely intact about the interior of this place.

"How do you all feel?" Fluttershy asked, looking from pony to dragon as she sat down in their little circle.

"A bit tired," Spike answered first, "but otherwise fine."

"You were on my back most of the way, Spike, so how could you possibly be tired?" Cadence reminded him, glancing at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, well, do you know how tiring it is to be holding on for dear life when you're going at a few hundred miles per hour?" Spike retorted.

"I do, actually," Cadence replied smugly, leaving Spike silent. Cadence turned back to address Fluttershy. "I'm a bit tired myself, but it's better than being dead, I suppose. I do feel quite stupid for forgetting my wings."

"Don't feel stupid, Cadence," Fluttershy said comfortingly. "I had forgotten them myself at that moment. In fact, there was one time I fell from the sky with my old friends, and was rescued by Rainbow Dash, and another pegasus." She briefly shuddered at the memory. "It is quite easy to forget them sometimes."

Luna nodded in agreement, chuckling. "Indeed. I think it is safe to say all of us forgot them at that point, but if it wasn't for your quick thinking, Fluttershy, we would have all been buried in that sandstorm. So thank you."

Fluttershy felt her cheeks burn pink at the praise, and covered her face with her mane as she looked away bashfully. "I-it was nothing, really," she squeaked eventually. "I just feel silly for not thinking about it earlier."

"Don't worry about it," Cadence said softly, smiling. "We all make mistakes and do silly things, even Princesses do." Her body suddenly shook as a nightly chill crept through the windows and around the inhabitants of the derelict castle. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I think it's time to get some firewood." She turned to face Spike, who had just sat down and got himself comfortable once again. "Spike? Could I borrow you for a moment to help me find some firewood?"

Spike's lower jaw dropped in shock, which quickly turned into a pout. "Why me?" he moaned.

"Because you're a dragon," Cadence answered matter-of-factly. "And the best person to ask about firewood is probably a dragon. So I need your help." She added gently with a big smile and wide eyes, "Please?"

Spike tried to look away or ignore the puppy dog look Cadence was giving him, but it was useless; the cuteness was too strong. "Fine," he sighed, getting up from his sitting position. "But there better be some nice, juicy crystals for me to have when this is over."

Cadence got up and stretched out her legs. "Of course there will be. I'm a mare of my word, Spike; you will get the crystals you want when I can give them to you." Spike grinned eagerly, then jumped onto Cadence's back as she turned around towards the door.

Fluttershy began to stand. "I'll help as well," she offered. However, before she could stand upright, her rump and tail was surrounded by a dark blue magic that set her back down on her rear.

"No, no," Luna said, "I want you to stay here so I can trade words with you."

Fluttershy scrunched her face up in confusion. "But, I don't have any words that I want to trade with you. In fact, I don't know if that's even possible."

"She just wants to talk to you, Fluttershy," Cadence explained. "That's all it means."

"Oh," Fluttershy oozed, nodding in understanding. "Okay, I'll talk to you. I do like talking, especially to my friends. I… I can count you as a friend, can I?"

"Of course," Luna replied, smiling warmly. "Just because we're running for our lives does not mean we cannot be friends. I would go as far as to say it enhances that friendship."

Fluttershy smiled with relief. "That's good. So, um, is what you want to talk to me about something important?"

Luna nodded, then turned her head around to address Cadence. "Just be careful, and don't go beyond the woods surrounding this castle," she warned them. "We don't know what's beyond this place."

Cadence nodded curtly at Luna, then, with Spike on her back, walked through the door and out into the cold night, leaving the door slightly open behind them. Luna and Fluttershy listened to the sound of hooves clopping against the ground, which gradually faded into nothingness.

"Oh, I hope they'll be okay," Fluttershy said, twiddling her hooves around each other in worry.

"I'm sure they'll be fine, so long as they stay in the woods and do not linger." Luna looked back at Fluttershy with a more serious expression. "Now, Fluttershy, I am going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer me truthfully."

Fluttershy felt nervous to be in Luna's presence all of a sudden. She shifted her rump about until she felt comfortable in sitting. "Um, okay… I think. What did you want to ask?"

"I was wondering how you were going to lead us to Horsca?" Luna asked quickly.

Fluttershy's eyes widened in surprise, and fright. "Ho-how did you know about that?"

"Vidarr told me while you were pacing in a circle yesterday evening," Luna explained. "He brought me out of the group for a moment, and told me that Horsca is where we should be going. He told me that he wanted you to lead us all to Horsca, and asked me to give you support, and assist you when necessary."

Fluttershy stared at Luna with her mouth agape, incredulous to what she had just heard. "So that's why you suddenly changed your mind about heading south," she realised.

Luna nodded, her ears falling flat across her head out of guilt. "I apologise for deceiving you like I did, but Vidarr said it was important that you figured it out for yourself."

"But I didn't figure it out for myself, though," Fluttershy countered. "Although you were very discreet about it, you still gave me the push in the right direction by telling me that we should discontinue heading south." She visibly slumped and let out a sigh. "How is that being a good leader? How can I be a leader when everypony helps me rather than letting me do things on my own?"

"Now let me tell you something that I learnt from over a thousand years of living: a leader is only a good leader when he or she listens to the right advice from those he or she protects, and acts on that advice." Fluttershy lifted her head up with a look of disbelief, yet she listened intently. "Although a leader makes the final decisions he or she thinks are the best for everypony, it is always good to listen to others and get a second opinion, for a decision made alone by the one in charge may not always be the right one to make."

Luna's ears suddenly fell flat once again, and her eyes looked sad. "I learnt that from personal experience, Fluttershy. I once made a decision that cost some good lives once, while ignoring those around me who said it wasn't for the best. So never ignore advice given to you, Dragonlord. For if you do, only ruin will follow."

Fluttershy's yellow coat had turned a bit brighter than usual, and her eyes were wide with terror. "I-I-I'll keep that in mind, Luna. Thanks." Although it didn't make her feel any better at all. Listening to one pony saying one thing seemed fine, but have a few more adding their voices into the issue, then it became a problem – one she thought she wouldn't be able to handle.

"But you have yet to answer my question, Fluttershy. How do you plan to get us north and into Horsca?" Luna asked persistently.

Fluttershy already knew the answer. "I don't know, Luna," she responded, lowering her head to shy away from Luna's gaze. "I would like to say by luck alone, but that would be the wrong answer."

"Actually, there isn't a right answer, or a wrong one. At least, not yet," Luna said. "The only way for such an answer to be right or wrong are the events that will cross our path on the coming journey."

Fluttershy nodded. "I just hope nothing bad will happen, that's all. I don't want any of you to get hurt, nor do I want other ponies to be hurt because of me or any of us." She went silent for a moment as she thought intensely about it. "Maybe if we avoid all of the main roads, and major towns and cities close to us, then we may be okay."

Luna smiled at her. "Spoken like a true tactician," she said. Fluttershy felt her cheeks burn pink once more at the praise. "I completely agree with you, Dragonlord," Luna continued. "So long as we are able to travel cross country as we are doing now, then we might get through it all unseen, and without much trouble." Her smile suddenly wavered. "But Celestia is a cunning tactician, and she will employ anything in her arsenal if it means to capture us again."

Fluttershy suddenly went pale as an unwanted thought came into her mind. "Or maybe even to… k-k-kill us?" she suggested.

Luna sighed. "I was going to leave that unspoken, but yes, she might. I'm surprised you thought that by yourself, to be honest. I thought you believed something happened to Celestia to make her act this way?"

"I know what I said," Fluttershy replied, rubbing her left foreleg. "And yes, maybe something is controlling Celestia to make her wish to capture us or even kill us. But sometimes… sometimes I have these fleeting moments of doubt that say Celestia and my friends are fine, and they really do hate me or want to kill me."

Luna hummed as she pondered. "It is only natural that you think like that. Like us, your faith in your friends and loved ones has been put into doubt. It is something we are all going through, dear Fluttershy, so do not think yourself alone in that. But do not ignore them, for they must be fought and cleared from our minds if we want to uncover the truth of what is exactly going on here."

Fluttershy's ears suddenly pricked upright. "You mean you'll help me?" she asked, a hopeful smile crawling across her face.

Luna's eyes cast themselves to the ground between them. "I have been thinking about what you said to me while we were in the desert. Although I may not entirely believe you about my sister no longer liking me, I fear something must have happened to make her think that we are traitors, and it has affected Equestria as well. If you will accept my help, then I will aid you in your quest to uncover the truth."

Fluttershy couldn't decide on whether to just say thank you, or tackle her in a bear hug. Eventually, she decided on the former. "I will gladly take your help. Thank you, Luna," she said with a friendly smile. With that, the two fell into a companionable silence as they waited for Cadence and Spike to return.

As they waited, Fluttershy began to grow increasingly restless with every passing second. She started to feel itchy all over, making it difficult for her to sit still. She prostrated herself onto the ground, and rolled onto her back and began swaying her back from side to side as she tried to rid herself of an agitated itch, squeaking and making other sounds, much to Luna's obviously building annoyance.

Just as she felt that one go, another itch on her left shoulder appeared. She rolled over once again, sat upright, and began scratching the itch like a dog, sighing pleasurably at how good it felt. She set her leg down, and sat still with a completely bored expression on her face. She didn't know what to do, nor did she know what to say to Luna; she barely knew her after all. _'We could try and get to know each other better in Horsca, when we're safe,' _Fluttershy decided.

She began to shift her back end about as she tried to get comfortable, with a sound like sandpaper against metal bouncing around the walls. After a minute or so of this, Luna looked as if she had enough. "Have you quite finished, Fluttershy?" she asked, her tone implying her annoyance.

Fluttershy stopped fidgeting instantly, and blushed sheepishly at Luna. "Sorry, Luna. But I'm just so bored sitting here. Do you know anything we can do to pass the time until Cadence and Spike comes back? Any games? I would suggest 'I spy', but there's not much here to play that with."

"Well, we could get out of here and have a look around," Luna suggested, gesturing with her head to the rest of the castle outside the hall. "Cadence and Spike might be a while, and even if they get back and we're not here, they'd know we won't be far away."

Although Fluttershy felt the idea of exploring an old, dilapidated and creepy castle as very scary, it was still better then just sitting around and doing nothing. "I would love to," she said, willing herself to stand upright once again.

Luna smiled, glad that Fluttershy was on board, then got up from the floor and stretched her forelegs. "Then let us explore like the explorer Daring Day," she declared. With that, she turned around and trotted towards the open and rotting door.

"Um, Daring Do is the name of the explorer, Luna. Not Daring Day, who I recall was the name of Daring's son in the final book," Fluttershy corrected her, although it came out as a mumble that was only heard by herself. She quickly sprinted after Luna, who was by the door waiting for her.

The two walked through the door, and looked around at what they presumed to be the old courtyard. The ground was paved in stone and, much like the rest of the castle, was broken up with weeds and other plants growing out of the stonework. Although the night was dark, and the wind was strong, creating a chill that crawled over the ponies, the two could just make out the rest of the castle. In front of them was what was left of the gatehouse, which once stood proud and foreboding, but was now a ruin that looked like it was about to collapse at any moment. While around the old, broken walls lay small buildings, ruined like the rest of this place.

"Which way should we go?" Luna asked, looking left then right. "I wouldn't mind looking left and seeing what's on this side."

"Well I would like to look right," Fluttershy replied. "How about we split up and go both ways?" Luna nodded in agreement, and then turned to head right. "Just be careful, Luna."

Luna looked back at her, grinning assuredly. "I can take care of myself, Fluttershy. Just look out for yourself." With that, she turned around and trotted around the corner of the hall, and out of sight.

"That's what I'm worried about," Fluttershy muttered to herself. She looked away from where Luna went and trotted right of the main hall, which, with the tower added, looked tall and intimidating to the little pegasus. She could see a lot of weeds and other plants weaved into the stonework, making her fear that a slight push to one of the stones would make it all collapse on top of them in an instant. She shuddered at the thought, and then looked away at the other buildings.

In the right corner from the gatehouse stood what was left of a long, rectangular building, with what appeared to be the remains of barrels and crates stacked against and on top of each other. _'Must have been a storehouse,'_ Fluttershy reckoned. She briefly wondered if there was any food stored in there, but quickly thought against it. If there was, it was probably old and mouldy, and mostly eaten by rats or other predators that might call this place their home.

Next to the storehouse, a shorter, but longer building stood out, in that it was one of the few buildings that was largely intact; its roof was mostly in one piece, albeit a single hole, and the inside was left untouched, as though whoever lived here had gone out for a stroll and never came back. Fluttershy's curiosity got the better of her, so she moved to stand in the open doorway to see what was inside.

The building appeared to have been a forge. On its side near the entrance was an anvil lying on its side, much to Fluttershy's surprise; those things were heavy, and hurt when one falls on one's head – that's what Twilight told her, anyway. In the corner was a large furnace, with a chimney stretching from its centre and out of the roof. The furnace, again like the rest of the castle, had fallen into disrepair. Across the wall was what was left of a rack for storing weapons, but unfortunately there was none to take.

As her eyes moved across the forge, her mind tried to paint an image of what life might have been like here. She could imagine two or three ponies working tirelessly as they forged new weapons, or repaired old ones; the heat coming from the furnace, the sound of metal being bashed together, and a hissing sound as new steel was placed into water to cool down. With a small smile, she turned around and continued down the path, passing a few more storehouses.

Fluttershy moved swiftly past a few more buildings, too derelict and ruined to be recognised or described, until she came to a halt and turned back with a pondering look when she thought of something. _'If ponies lived here, then where did they stay?'_

She was going to ponder further into her own question, when a sudden sound from behind her made her squeak loudly in fright and spin around on the spot to face whoever caused it. She looked around, but saw nopony. She pinned her ears upright, allowing her to just make out the sound of hooves clopping against the stone ground away from her. Her right ear twitched. Although Luna had hooves, her hoofsteps were heavy and slow in pace, whereas the ones she had heard were light and quick, more for a pony of her stature.

Luna suddenly came galloping up from behind her. "I heard you squeak in fright," she said. She looked down at the pegasus, who had not moved a muscle as her mind tried to tell her what she just heard. "What is it?" Luna asked, suddenly nervous by Fluttershy's edginess.

Slowly, Fluttershy lifted up her left leg, and _Firewing_ shot out of its bracelet, singing its metallic song. Unlike _Drage Bane_, which was a dark grey metal, _Firewing_ was made of steel that was bright as the moon now above them, and straight and smooth with a sharp point at the end. "We're not alone," Fluttershy whispered, and proceeded to walk cautiously towards the source of the noise.

"Are you certain it wasn't Cadence, or Spike?" Luna asked, her head low and following Fluttershy submissively.

"I heard hooves, Luna, so it wouldn't be Spike. And anyway, why would Cadence or Spike run _away_ from us?" Fluttershy reasoned to her. She pointed to the other side of the castle with _Firewing_. "Whatever it was, it went this way." She lowered herself into a crouch, and then crept slowly forward, with _Firewing_ close to her chest, and Luna right beside her.

The two moved off the old stone pavement, and onto a dry muddy surface at the bottom left corner of the old castle. At that moment, the moon went behind some clouds, and the world dimmed slightly. "Luna, do you have an illumination spell we can use, please?" she asked.

Luna smiled and nodded. "Certainly." Instantly her horn glowed a bright light, and the corner of the castle was soon illuminated, revealing the hoofprints that ran through the ground and into the corner.

"Hello?" Fluttershy called in the direction of the hoofprints. "There's no need to be scared! We don't want to hurt you, nor cause you any trouble!"

"Unless he or she starts trouble first," Luna muttered.

Fluttershy eyed Luna for a second, and then looked back at the corner. "We just wanted shelter for the night!" She waited patiently for an answer, but none came. "We'll be going in the morning, if that's okay with you!" Fluttershy tried again, to no response. Fluttershy swallowed down the growing nervousness she was feeling in her throat and stomach. "Um, maybe we should just leave whoever it is alone? Maybe then it would leave us alone." She made her way to turn back to the hall, but Luna quickly put a hoof up to stop her.

"No, we can't just go back now," Luna said. "Whoever it is, we have to know if it is a friend, or a foe." The Night Princess took a deep breath, and walked slowly forward.

"And what if he or she is neutral?" Fluttershy asked, following close behind.

Luna looked back at Fluttershy oddly. "Try not to complicate the situation, Fluttershy," she warned her, before turning around and moving towards the corner.

Fluttershy moved forward, but stopped when she heard hoofsteps behind her. She looked back to see Cadence and Spike walking through the gatehouse, their magic or claws full of firewood. "Hey, Fluttershy!" Spike called, his eyes squinting to just make out the two ponies under Luna's light. "Whatcha doing down there?"

"Heard some hoofsteps, so me and Luna are checking it out!" Fluttershy called back. "Get a fire going! We'll join you shortly!"

"Fluttershy, you have to come and see this!" Luna called loudly, even though the pegasus was standing right next to her.

Fluttershy grimaced as her ears rang as though large bells were right next to her, ringing like they were celebrating a wedding. _'Why is everypony shouting all of a sudden?' _"What is it?" Fluttershy asked once she recovered. Luna simply pointed in answer, and when Fluttershy saw what she was looking at, she gasped.

A short-sloped path ran down from the castle, then straightened up to a large iron door that led underground. The door itself was covered in old Equestrian sigils, and even the sigils of the sun and the moon were side by side at the centre of the door, forming the main lock.

Yet the door was opened partially, confirming to the two that somepony had fled into there. Fluttershy looked along the walls, and smiled pleasingly when she saw an old but useable torch held on a brazier. She hovered up to it, and took it with her teeth. "Do you know any fire spells?" she asked through gritted teeth.

Luna nodded, and with a beam of blue magic shooting out from her horn, the torch came alive with the crackle of light blue flames, which fascinated Fluttershy. "Thanks," she said, before turning around and making her way down the slope, with Luna close behind.

At the bottom of the slope, Fluttershy stopped just on the other side of the doors, and peered down the corridor. In the low light, the walls flickered a faint blue, with each revealing the carvings that adorned the walls, all of which were moments of Equestrian glory that were won in battles in the country's past. As Fluttershy looked down the corridor, it didn't take long for her to notice that the corridor sharply turned right.

For a short moment, Fluttershy considered leaving the tunnels alone and go back to Luna and Cadence, yet her heart stopped her. Somepony had fled down there, probably tired, hurt and very, very scared. More scared than her. She had to know if the pony or another hoofed creature was all right, and then move on. _'Besides, if a scared pony ran down here, then why should I be scared?'_

"Come on… if you want to, that is," she said to Luna, and trotted on. Luna, although hesitant, compliantly followed. Fluttershy didn't blame Luna for being hesitant. Every muscle in her body was telling her to turn tale and run back to the hall with the others, yet her mind kept her firmly going forward, determined to know if this pony was all right and harmless.

Around the corner, the corridor turned a sharp right again, leading back towards the castle and under it down a gentle slope. "Ah, now I know why I can't remember this place," Luna said, her eyes going over the walls. "My sister was the one who designed this castle. I must have designed the ones in-between this one. I never had these underground rooms built for my ones."

Fluttershy trotted down the slope cautiously, praying she wouldn't find a weak stone that made her slip and break a leg; she didn't want to be a burden to the others. Luckily she made it down with little difficulty, with Luna sliding down the slope with such grace as if she did it all the time. "So you both took turns in designing these castles?" Fluttershy asked as she walked ahead.

"Oh yes," Luna answered. "We decided to equalise the number of castles we had built so both of us gets equal credit by building a castle each along the line, so it was Celestia's first, then one of mine, and so on and so forth. It was actually a lot of fun for us. One day we had a contest to see how many castles we can both design in a day. And another we made models of our castles, and then played mini war games with them. Celestia had these toy models painted like her own army, the Solar Flares, and mine were painted like my own army, the Luna Wolves."

Fluttershy giggled at the image of two grown alicorns playing with little toy soldiers when they should be ruling a country. "What about Cadence?" Fluttershy asked, not wanting to leave out the other Princess of Equestria; she thought it would be rude if she did. "Did she have anything to do with the designs?"

Upon receiving no answer, she looked back to see Luna staring at her weirdly. "Cadence wasn't even born yet," she answered simply. "She isn't as old as we are, Fluttershy."

"Isn't she?" Fluttershy gasped, her ears falling flat. "Oh dear. Now I feel awful for thinking she's very old."

"I would not call thirty-one _very_ old," Luna said. "At least in my case."

Fluttershy looked up at Luna in surprise. "She's thirty-one?" Luna nodded. "Oh. I thought, well being a winged unicorn, that she would be quite old."

Luna shook her head. "Cadence ages like yo– I mean, she ages like any other pony, and she wasn't born with a horn. She was a pegasus orphan adopted by earth ponies in a village somewhere in southeastern Equestria. With her heart of pure love she was able to reform an evil pony that stole love using a necklace. With that ability to spread love recognised, she was teleported to a special place between our realm, met Celestia, and came back as a Princess."

Fluttershy's jaw was nearly on the floor. "So, you're not her real aunt."

"And neither is Celestia her aunt," Luna confirmed. "She adopted her as an niece, and when I came back, Cadence accepted me as an aunt as well. We – _I_ am the closest pony she has to family now."

Fluttershy opened her mouth to ask more, but stopped when she heard the sound of hooves clopping against the ground enter her ears once again, and then gradually fade away. "It's okay!" Fluttershy called. "We want to help you if you would like us to!" Fluttershy cantered down the corridor, a torch of blue flame in her mouth, with Luna hot on her heels.

After going straight down for about a minute, the two ponies stopped when they saw the corridor going two ways: one went left, while the other went right. "I suggest we split up so we can cover both alternatives," Luna said, looking both ways.

Fluttershy shook her head dismissively. "A cornered prey can become a dangerous predator, Luna," she cautioned. "I think we should stick together, and take it slowly." The two walked up to the crossing, and quickly looked left then right.

On their left, the corridor continued down a flight of stairs, with carvings of more of Equestria's long and illustrious history adorning the walls. While right led into a large room, with the far right corner caved in with rubble. "Let's have a look in here," Fluttershy ventured, walking towards the room.

"I'll stay outside and keep an eye out," Luna offered, facing the corridor and standing straight like a guard. Fluttershy rolled her eyes at the sight, and then turned back to the room in front of her.

The chamber was dark, and full of old, battered cobwebs. Fluttershy had a quick look around for spiders, hoping there weren't any _really_ big ones that could capture her in webs and drain her blood later. She had a bad streak with spiders recently, and they were becoming her least favourite animal rather quickly. Luckily for her, there was none. She smiled in relief, and looked around the room. It was mostly bare, save for a few racks along two of the walls that were filled with weapons. _'Wait, what?'_ She looked back at the racks in disbelief.

"Luna!" she called, gesturing with a hoof for Luna to come forward, even though the Princess couldn't see it. "Come and see these!"

Luna, curious to see what got Fluttershy sounding so excited, peered her head through the door, and gasped at the number of weapons there was. "Incredible," she whispered, walking up to stand next to the pegasus.

All the weapons, save but a few, were locked in scabbards decorated with golden or silvery swirls that spun around the sheaths like snakes. The hilt was shaped like a unicorn's horn, and pommels that sat on the ends were decorated in the shapes of either the sun or the moon, and even one with a crystal. Fluttershy looked at each with a mix of fascination and intrigue. Despite Fluttershy's hatred of weapons, and what they were made for and what they represented, the pegasus couldn't help but admire the beauty and elegance of a sword.

Luna picked up the one closest to her, the magic wrapping around the horn-shaped hilt nicely, and unsheathed it fully. The blade sang as it was freed from its scabbard after years of neglect.

Fluttershy thought the blade in Luna's hold made her swords look like letter openers in comparison. It was about four or five foot long, and a bright silver with a double-edged blade that ended in a heart-shaped point. Although Fluttershy thought the blade was beautiful, she was more interested by the fact that Luna's magic didn't wrap around the entire sword. "How comes the blade isn't fully wrapped by your magic?" Fluttershy asked, pointing at it.

Luna looked at her for a moment, and then looked at the sword in contemplation for a while. "You see the hilt?" Fluttershy nodded. "As you can see, it is shaped like the horn of a unicorn. And you know how magnets work, right?"

Fluttershy nodded. "Of course. North and south attract together, while north and north, or south and south, doesn't."

Luna nodded. "Indeed. With these, the same rules apply. The hilt of the sword, which is the north end, acts as a magnet for the magic from the unicorn's horn to attach to, which is the south end. Understand?"

Fluttershy's mouth formed an O as she nodded in understanding. "I see. So, why did they design them like that? Wouldn't it have been easier if they could allow the magic to wrap itself around the whole sword?"

"It might have been," Luna agreed. "But I think it wouldn't have been as… practical, wielding it like that, when you can have the strength of all your magic on one end. Like this." She backed away and turned from the pegasus, and then proceeded to swing it around her head and slash at the air like she was cutting a foe in half that wasn't there. She thrust her sword forward in a stabbing motion, then pulled it back, brought it above her head, then spun around and swooped it down right where Fluttershy was standing.

Fluttershy, thanks to being a Dragonlord, acted fast. She lowered her body, then brought up her right leg above her head and let _Drage Bane_ shoot out of its scabbard, just before Luna's swing could cut her in half.

The two blades clanged into each other, the sound of steel against steel ringing against the walls, and back into the ponies' ears. Fluttershy felt the weight of Luna's sword against her own, pushing her leg down a little, yet she stayed firm. Luna looked wide-eyed in horror at Fluttershy, while the pegasus stared back at her with a touch of fear, and a small bout of admiration.

"You have some skill with a blade," Fluttershy remarked quietly.

Luna backed away from the pegasus, and quickly dropped her sword, which clattered to the ground at Fluttershy's hooves. "Fluttershy, I deeply apologise if I caused you any fear. That was foolish of me to practice in such a enclosed room, and so close to you."

Fluttershy trotted up to the Princess, and patted her on the shoulder comfortingly. "It's all right, Luna," Fluttershy said kindly, smiling assuredly at her. "I wasn't harmed, and was quick enough to block it. Just next time, practice in an open space _away_ from anypony."

Luna chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind, thanks."

Fluttershy smiled, then picked up the sword with her hooves and held it up for Luna to take. "Are you going to keep this one?"

Luna shook her head. "I was never really a fan of straight-edged swords like that one. Let's have a look and inspect what has been left behind." With that, Luna began looking at the various swords and axes on the racks or on the floor, while Fluttershy placed the sword in her hooves back in its scabbard in the rack.

While Fluttershy looked at the different weapons from her sitting position, Luna walked along the racks, looking for the weapon for her. She stopped and grinned eagerly when she saw the right one. "Found you," she muttered under her breath. Fluttershy turned her head, and tilted her body back so she could see what Luna was looking at. When she saw the blade Luna had picked, she gasped in astonishment.

Like the other swords, its hilt was shaped like a unicorn's horn, with a pommel in the shape of the full moon. The blade, however, was the most exotic design the Dragonlord had ever seen. From the hilt to the point, it was bent into the shape of a crescent moon, almost like Luna's cutie mark. And a word in the old Equestrian tongue was spelt out across the curved edge of the blade. A word that, thanks to Twilight and her knowledge of the old Equestrian language, Fluttershy was able to read.

Fluttershy got off her rump and moved to stand beside Luna, her gaze never leaving the fantastic sword. Suddenly, the hilt of the sword began to glow blue, and was lifted from the rack and held upright for Luna to get a feel of it in the grip of her magic. "Nightbringer," Fluttershy read the word aloud. She nodded satisfactorily at it, and then smiled at Luna. "It's as though it has been waiting for you, Luna."

Luna nodded in agreement, her eyes never leaving the weapon. "It might be best if I had this, Fluttershy, as well as weapons for the others. Incase we have to defend ourselves. I hope you can understand that."

Fluttershy nodded. "Of course. I have weapons of my own, so saying you cannot have one would make me a hypocrite."

Luna nodded, and then strapped _Nightbringer_ loosely to her left side, making it easy for her to grip hold of it incase she had to unsheathe it. "What about Spike?" Luna queried, her eyes scanning at the different swords for one of Spike's statue. "Will he be allowed a weapon?"

Fluttershy's face hardened into a cold stare. "No," she said sternly. "He is just a baby dragon, Luna. We can't expect him to hold a weapon against someone or something, nor do I want him to know what it feels like to take a life. It's a horrible feeling that he's too young to go through."

Luna looked back into her eyes and said, "He's not going to be a baby dragon forever, Fluttershy. He will grow beyond the size of any of us when he's older, and become just like every other dragon that has ever lived: a lonely, greedy killer."

Although Fluttershy wished Luna was wrong, she knew she wasn't. Twilight will eventually die, as will she, leaving Spike alone in the world. Then there would be nothing to stop him from falling back into his dragon instincts.

She rid the thought out of herself, and said, "All the more reason for him not to have a sword yet. Even if he grows into that, he is still young, and I don't think his mind could take putting a sword through someone just yet." She gestured with her head to the other swords and weapons. "Let's get to finding this pony, see if he or she is all right, then get back to the others."

Luna shook her head. "Not yet. Help me find one for Cadence. She'll need one as well." Luna began picking up the various swords, axes, or other weapons that could suite Cadence.

"Giving Cadence a sword?" Fluttershy asked, tilting her head. "Um, forgive me, but I don't think Cadence to be one with a weapon in her magic." She tried picturing Cadence with a sword gripped in magic and a fierce look on her face, yet couldn't. Apart from the incidents with the changelings and the return of the Crystal Empire, she seemed too friendly to wield a weapon. _'Looks can be deceptive, Fluttershy,'_ her mind explained. _'Nopony would think you were capable of wielding a sword, yet you can, and you do.'_

"She was a Princess of Equestria, Fluttershy," Luna replied, turning her head to look back at her. "Like all Princesses before her, one of the first things she learnt was the art of sword combat, and being able to defend herself against such armed foes. She will be able to look after herself, Dragonlord. Have no fear of that." She looked back at the racks of weapons once more, while Fluttershy began pacing and looking around the room, unsure of what to do with herself.

She suddenly stopped when she realised she had trodden on something that didn't feel like the stone floor. She looked down, and gasped at the gorgeous bow at her hooves. She stepped back a little, then picked it up with her hooves, holding it out before her to get a proper look at it.

Like several of the scabbards on the racks, thin golden swirls wrapped around its upper and lower limbs, and what looked like the material a unicorn's horn is made of at the centre of the bow, forming the grip. A long piece of thick, strong string was – amazingly – attached from one end to the other, and the bow itself was, again surprisingly, in perfect condition, as if the ponies that were garrisoned here had never left.

"Luna?" Fluttershy beckoned her. "Would you like to come and have a look at this?"

Luna was soon beside her, and her eyes were going over the bow with a look of amazement. "Fascinating," she whispered as she picked the bow up with her magic. "Most bows, even their string, would have rotted away or broken up by now, yet this one is still complete."

"Maybe it's magic," Fluttershy suggested.

Luna shook her head, and tapped the wooden bow lightly, making a sound like an acorn would make as a thrush cracked it open. "Or maybe it is because the bow itself is made out of Everfree wood," Luna observed, running a hoof along the smooth edge of the bow. At Fluttershy's confused look, she explained. "Wood from the Everfree Forest is usually strong, thanks in part to how old the trees there are. The string itself is from a village a couple of miles away south from Las Pegasus, I believe. The earth ponies there know how to make the toughest string known to ponydom." She looked up with a sense of sudden realisation. "That would mean we're not too far away from Las Pegasus."

Fluttershy's brow creased in surprise. "Wow," she said. "We walked quite far, then."

"Indeed," Luna nodded, "and quite quickly as well. Much quicker than I thought we would be." She looked back at the bow for a second, and then slung it onto her back. "Cadence will be able to use this easily."

"She'll know how to use that?" Fluttershy queried, pointing to the bow.

"Oh yes. I've seen her hit a target at dead centre from two hundred yards away at a festival some time ago. She moved back another hundred, and then shredded the first arrow with her second shot," Luna explained. "She has a good eye for such small details, Fluttershy. The bow would be perfect for her."

Fluttershy nodded; silently pleased that Cadence was not with Celestia and the others by the way her shooting skills were described to her. "What about a sword?" she enquired. "Did you find one for her?"

Luna nodded, and then gestured for Fluttershy to look at her back to see the long sword that was sheathed in a scabbard coiled with silver lines and had a pommel shaped like a crystal. "The only one of this lot that was forged by the ponies of the Crystal Empire," Luna said. "I'm glad, really. It will give her a piece of home." She looked around Fluttershy's hooves. "Did you find any arrows?"

Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak, but closed it and spun her head around to face the door upon hearing the sound of hooves trying to sneakily pass the room. Fluttershy galloped to the entrance, and stopped when she saw the silhouette of a pony at the bottom of the stairs. The two stared silently at each other for a moment, before the pony suddenly veered about and galloped back to where he or she came.

"Wait!" Fluttershy cried. She broke into a gallop, and ran down the corridor as fast and as carefully as she could go, with Luna not too far behind her. The corridor went straight down for a long time, before suddenly veering left, and into a large boxed room with several routes to take.

'_Why would Celestia design such a complicated system of tunnels?'_ Fluttershy wondered as she looked around. One way was straight in front of her; the second was to the right of that one, the third was on an elevated structure, with a flight of stairs leading towards it, and the fourth was around the corner of the large block, but was blocked off by rubble.

Luna soon caught up with her, gasping for breath. "I need… to exercise a bit more," she panted. "Any idea… which way the pony… went?"

Fluttershy shook her head frowning, while her ears were pricked up at their highest as she listened for the sounds that might give the pony away. However, all she could hear was Luna's heavy breathing, much to her annoyance.

"Um, excuse me, Luna? Sorry if I sound rude, but would you mind breathing quietly for a moment while I try to figure out where this pony went?" Fluttershy asked.

Luna glared at Fluttershy for a moment. "Well I apologise for breathing so loudly because I was out of breath," she said sarcastically.

"That's okay," Fluttershy said, smiling at her. Luna only rolled her eyes. With Luna now quiet, Fluttershy concentrated as hard as she could on finding out which path the pony took. Although a small part of her mind continued to tell her to leave whoever it was be and get back to Cadence and Spike, she did her best to ignore it. The pony could be injured, or starving, or in a far worse state. Fluttershy could not dream of leaving the pony be without seeing if he or she was all right first.

Her right ear suddenly twitched, as it picked up the sound of something heavy falling over down the right tunnel. "This way," she declared, pointing to the tunnel. With that, she broke into a gallop down the tunnel, with Luna close behind and _Nightbringer_ gripped in her magic.

The corridor continued for a long way, passing carvings on the walls, and sometimes even broken statues of great ponies of Equestria, or even other pony kingdoms. The corridor suddenly turned right, and Fluttershy and Luna followed, with the pegasus praying that they would come to a dead end, and this madness will cease.

She smiled thinly to herself when she saw up ahead the corridor was blocked by a cave-in, and the pony she had saw earlier was pressed up against the wall, with hooves over eyes in the hope the pony would not be seen.

Fluttershy tilted her torch a little, allowing a small amount of light to spread across the corridor, and revealed the pony cowering before them. The pony was a unicorn mare with what seemed to be a dark blue coat in the low light, and what appeared to be a dark brown mane and tail with traces of white here and there. Fluttershy suddenly caught a sense of déjà vu with this pony, as if she had seen her before, yet couldn't remember where.

With cautious movements, Fluttershy set the torch aside and stepped closer to the mare. "Um, excuse me?" she said gently. The mare brought her head out of her hooves. "It's okay. We're not here to hurt you. We just want to he–" She cut herself off when she felt the tip of a blade pressing against her throat.

"Fluttershy!" Luna cried, striding forward ready to bring down _Nightbringer_ on the armed mare.

"Get away from me!" the mare yelled, pushing the short sword in her magic forward and making Fluttershy step back, forcing Luna to stop. "Haven't you ponies ridiculed me enough?"

Fluttershy tried not to show any fear, yet her breathing had quickened as she realised how dangerous her situation had become. One wrong move could see her throat cut open, and send her blood dripping from her neck and onto the ground. Although she kept telling herself she wasn't afraid to die, she didn't want to die just yet.

She looked from the sword at her throat to the mare, and smiled disarmingly. "No pony is here to ridicule you, miss. I just wanted to know if you were all right, and to let you know that there is no need to hide from us. I want to help, that's all."

The pressure Fluttershy could feel on her neck slackened, yet the mare didn't bring the sword away. "Thank you kindly, but I am fine. I do not need any help, nor do I want any. Now go away before I run you both through."

"You look like you don't have the strength to keep that blade afloat for long," Luna pointed out.

"I can and I'll prove it!" the mare yelled. She swung the blade away from Fluttershy, and raised it above her head with intent to swing it down and embed it in Fluttershy's skull. Fluttershy jumped back at the last second, letting the blade fall to the ground. The mare toppled and fell with it as the last of her strength dissipated.

With the mare on the ground, and sniffling with tears, Fluttershy quickly grabbed the sword on the ground, threw it behind her, and then looked back at the mare not in anger, but in sympathy. She could now see the mare's ribs on her body, her mane and tail were not brown in colour but were ragged and dirty, and her cutie mark… Fluttershy's heart stopped beating when she saw the mare's cutie mark. "That's impossible," Fluttershy whispered aloud, her eyes widening in shock.

As she gazed at the unique cutie mark, Fluttershy's mind raced back to when she had last seen this mare, and her eyes bulged when she realised was only a year ago. _'I have to be sure it is the same pony.' _She bent into a crouch, brought her torch closer to reveal the mare had a sky blue coat instead if a dark blue, and using a hoof, gently brushed the mare's mane away from her face, letting Fluttershy truly see who she was. Upon looking into the mare's eyes, there was no doubt in Fluttershy's mind who the pony was now. However, the unicorn's eyes, which had once sparkled with great arrogance, now held the soul of a completely broken unicorn.

The mare looked up at her with dark violet eyes, wide as saucers, as though she was trying to remember where she had seen the pegasus from before. "I know your face," she whispered, tears weeping from her eyes and her body shaking with exhaustion.

"As I know yours," Fluttershy replied. She let go and spun around to gallop back out. "Keep her here!" she ordered Luna. "I'm going to see if Cadence and Spike cooked any food yet!" Without waiting for a reply she raced back down the corridor and through the labyrinth as fast as her legs could carry her.

A few minutes later, she was nearly out of breath when she arrived at the top and back out into the fresh, cool air of the night. She stopped for a moment, but as soon as she took a deep breath and released it, she galloped hastily into the main hall where Cadence and Spike had a fire going, and a large pot with something that smelt good inside.

"Do you have any food ready?" she demanded quickly as she rushed in, her eyes wide.

Spike nodded, confused as to what got Fluttershy worked up. "Yeah, we have a whole pot of stew ready for us."

"We found a load of bowls and buckets by the castle gates we could use," Cadence explained. "Admittedly, there were a bit dirty, but a quick rinse in a water fountain we found and they were ready for use."

"Do you have one ready?" Fluttershy asked, jogging on the spot in a hurry to get back down into the tunnels.

Spike nodded, then handed her a large bowl. Fluttershy took it in both hooves, and hovered over the pot and dipped the bowl in quickly. "Fluttershy, I don't understand what's the urgency? Is everything all right? Did you find something down there?"

"We found some things down there, Spike, and some _one_," Fluttershy replied as she turned around and prepared to fly back into the tunnels.

"You found some_pony_ down here?" Cadence asked incredulously. Fluttershy looked back and nodded in reply.

"Gosh," Spike gasped. "Did you get a name from him, or her?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "I didn't need to, since we've met her before." At Spike's confused look, she added, "We found Trixie down there, Spike."

Spike's eyes widened with horror. "Trixie? As in 'The Great and Powerful Trixie'? The most annoying unicorn on the _planet_?" Fluttershy just nodded, giving Spike a reason to scream out, "WHYYYY!" He put his claws in his face, and groaned so loud the two ponies with him feared the building was about to collapse by his voice alone. "Of all the annoying ponies we could have possibly run into, why did it have to be _her_?" he complained. He started slamming his fist into the ground, chanting, "Why, why, why, why, why!"

Before Spike could complain anymore about this sudden turn of events, Cadence ran up to him and clamped a hoof over his mouth, silencing him. "Hush, Spike!" she shouted, glaring at him. "Unless you want ponies that are out there looking for us coming here!"

Spike took a deep breath to calm down, which thankfully worked, to the relief of the two ponies with him. "How can a pony be this far from anywhere?" Cadence asked aloud, turning back to face Fluttershy.

"I don't know, but I intend to find out," Fluttershy answered. "We might be able to find out where the nearest settlements are, and then plan a way to avoid them." Cadence nodded in agreement. "Right, I better get back down there. Thanks for the stew." With a bowl of stew in her hooves, she flew out of the door and back into the tunnels, flying slowly so she wouldn't bump into the walls around her.

After a while of bumping into walls, spilling some of the stew in the process, and almost getting lost, she found her way back down the corridor with Luna and Trixie. The Night Princess was standing over the unicorn, ready to bring down _Nightbringer_ if the need arose, while Trixie cowered in fear of the tall mare. Fluttershy would not have believed the sight unless she was there to see it herself. _'What must have happened to her, though?' _she wondered as she approached, for when she looked into the mare's eyes, she couldn't help but feel a great amount of sympathy for her.

Trixie was just a shallow shell of her former self. Her ribs were showing, revealing how starved the poor mare must be. Her mane and tail was dirty and ragged, and her body was covered in small cuts and bruises.

Fluttershy approached cautiously, her wing blades whistling as she fluttered gently in front of the show mare. "Hello? Trixie?" she called gently, tilting her head a little. The mare in question looked up at her with frightened yet curious eyes. "I brought you some stew to eat. I'm sorry that it's not a lot, but it's all we can spare." She set the bowl down in front of Trixie, and backed away. "Please eat it. Please?"

Trixie studied the bowl for a moment, before pushing it away. "I do not want any of your kindness," she said grumpily, looking away.

Luna groaned. "Oh, Fluttershy, let's just leave her and get back to the others. We'll be wasting time and food with her, otherwise."

"No!" Fluttershy snapped, shooting Luna a glare that made Luna visibly shiver and take a step back. "You can head back up if you want, but I won't! Not while she's like this!" She turned back around to look at Trixie, her eyes pleading for her to take a sip. "Look, Trixie, I know it's not in your nature to accept help from others, but I need you to put that stubbornness aside for a moment if you want to live."

"What's the point of living?" Trixie muttered. "Everything that I lived for is gone."

"There is every reason to continue living, Trixie," Fluttershy said. "Yes, there are moments in our lives that make us want to fall down and give up. But if we let those moments control us, and guide us in what we do, then we are truly lost." She put her hooves on Trixie's cheeks, and gently lifted her head up to look her in the eyes. "Yet while we live, the things that make us want to keep on living are still there, but are on the ground, just waiting for you to pick them up again, that's all." She took her hooves off Trixie, and gently pushed the bowl closer to the unicorn. "And you can't pick them up again if you're dead."

Trixie looked at her for a long time, before breaking her gaze from Fluttershy and brought it down at the bowl in front of her hooves. With the speed of a cat pouncing on its prey, Trixie grabbed the bowl with her hooves, and began gulping the stew down.

"Oh, not too quickly, please, Trixie," Fluttershy warned her, raising a hoof to stop her. "It could be dangerous if you do that."

Trixie looked up at her with narrow eyes, and then went back to her stew, gulping more slowly and carefully than before. With Trixie okay for the moment, Fluttershy went back to face Luna, who, to her credit, was still waiting for them. "You really didn't need to stay, Luna."

"I didn't want to leave you alone with her, even if she seemed to be an old friend of yours."

"Oh, she's not my friend, Luna," Fluttershy corrected her, looking back at the blue unicorn. "Just an acquaintance, really." She looked up at Luna. "Did you find anything wrong with her?"

Luna shook her head. "I did a magical scan on her quickly, and walked around her to see. Apart from lacking proper food she seems okay. No forced entry, I'm glad to say."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, glad that such a thing wasn't the case. Yet it didn't make it any easier to understand what had happened to her to force Trixie down here to hide. "So tell me, Fluttershy. How do you know this mare?" Luna whispered in a hushed tone, so Trixie wouldn't quite hear them.

Fluttershy looked over to Trixie for a moment as she ate the stew down greedily, as though somepony was about to snatch it away from her. "We first met her about four years ago," Fluttershy started. "About six weeks after Twilight first came to Ponyville. She came with her own show, and showed us some dazzling magic displays, and boasted how she managed to defeat an ursa major."

Luna snorted in disbelief. "Pah!" she scoffed the idea. "Nopony, not even my sister, could defeat an ursa major, for they are creatures of the night. As such, they are _my_ responsibility to defeat."

"Yes, well, it was quickly revealed that it was a lie, for she wasn't even able to beat a ursa minor when it came walking into town; I wasn't there to see it but Applejack told me all about it in the morning. She told me how Twilight was able to levitate the creature up, and then send it back to its mother in the Everfree Forest. Trixie ran out of town just after that, humiliated, and having lost everything.

"Just a year ago, Trixie returned with the Alicorn Amulet around her neck, and wanted to face Twilight in a magic duel. At first, she defeated Twilight, and banished her from Ponyville, and enslaved us all as she became the new ruler. We all learnt quickly she was becoming corrupted by the Amulet's power, and we needed Twilight back to help us stop her. I was sent out of Ponyville to find her, and found her in the Everfree Forest with Zecora. I told her what we had learnt, and she came up with a plan to rid Trixie of the Amulet.

"With our help, Twilight managed to trick Trixie into thinking she had an even stronger amulet, and was able to duplicate ponies, turn mares into stallions, and other spells. She took the Alicorn Amulet off herself, and we snatched it back and gave it to Zecora to store away. Afterwards, Trixie apologised to Twilight, which the unicorn forgave her, and went off with a newfound respect for her, and for others in general."

As she finished, she looked back at Trixie, who was just finishing off the last of the stew. "So what happened in the past year to bring her to _this_? I thought everything was going all right for her."

"Well, as you can see, everything has _not_ gone all right for Trixie," Trixie said, glaring up at the pegasus even as she looked ready to collapse again.

Fluttershy took a step forward, trying to resist the urge to hug the poor unicorn. "Oh, Trixie, what happened to you?"

"Yes, and what brought you rather suspiciously to this place?" Luna added. "The nearest settlement must be miles away from here."

"It is. And there isn't anything suspicious about me coming here," Trixie replied. She let out a sigh, and began her tale. "When I left Ponyville, I began thinking about my life so far, and what I had achieved in the time I had been a travelling magician. The answer I discovered shocked me, and chilled me to my bones. I have done so little, whereas your friend, Twilight Sparkle, has became everything I once dreamed of being. She managed to get all of that by being humble, and modest and… well, just being good. While I got as far as I did by telling lies, and you saw how well that went for me.

"So I decided to turn my life around, and do something that many would see me as the Great and Modest and Kind Trixie, rather than the Great and Powerful Trixie most ponies know me by. Therefore, I started going around the cities and towns of Equestria, displaying my magic tricks, as well as telling great stories of many great ponies who saved Equestria many times in the past few years. Three quarters of the money I got from ponies listening to me went to the different charities around these cities, like Vanhoover; the main charity there was for a foal's hospital."

Fluttershy beamed proudly at her. "That is amazing, Trixie. I imagine the ponies who run the place must have been thrilled."

"Oh, they were," Trixie agreed. "They even asked me to put on a show for the young fillies and colts who were there. Of course, being the caring pony I am, I gratefully accepted." She paused to smile at the memory. "You should have seen their faces, Miss…" Her voice trailed off when she realised she didn't know Fluttershy's name.

"Oh, y-yeah, I suppose we were never introduced properly. My name is Fluttershy Firewing, and this is Princess Luna," Fluttershy introduced them, gesturing with a hoof at herself, and then pointed at Luna.

Trixie looked from Fluttershy to Luna in shock. "A Princess!" she exclaimed. She moved to rise, but a gentle hoof from Fluttershy set her back down. "Forgive me, Princess, for not bowing."

"It's quite all right, Miss Trixie," Luna said, waving the apology away. "I can see you are not in a state for such formalities, even if they are not necessary, or acquired for me anymore. I am no longer a Princess of Equestria."

Trixie nodded, although Fluttershy could see most of it went over her head. _'Probably tired out, the poor thing.' _She zoomed herself back into concentration when Trixie began talking again.

"Well, you should have seen their faces, Miss Firewing. All of them had beaming smiles across their faces, and their eyes were wide with delight as I worked my magic on them. Everything was going fine; I left cities and towns behind me with happy ponies, and it made me feel like I accomplished something. Until…" Her voice faded away, and her smile disappeared.

Fluttershy and Luna leaned their heads closer. "Until, what?" they both asked.

Trixie looked back at them with solemn eyes. "Until about a week ago," she answered. "Last Saturday I came upon a village of earth ponies about thirty miles or so from here, on the edge of the desert, and surrounded by forest. As always I set up my show and wowed them with my magic and my stories. Afterwards, they welcomed me warmly and as humble as could be expected of me, and we had a village feast that went into the night. Before midnight, I retired for the night, feeling content with what I did, and everything that has happened so far."

She paused to shudder as the memory came into her mind. "The next morning," she continued, her voice staying strong but cracking slowly. "I was awoken by several of the ponies, who were armed and looked extremely aggressive. They threw me out of my wagon, and drove me out of the village, with some of them throwing stones at me."

Luna and Fluttershy looked horrified. "I know this village," Luna muttered, drawing Fluttershy's attention. "The ponies that live there are a peaceful people. Why would they harm somepony all of a sudden?"

"Still think that it could all be a coincidence?" Fluttershy enquired, lifting an eyebrow. Luna's silence confirmed her answer. She turned back to Trixie, who had managed to recover from her sudden breakdown. "Why did they start attacking you all of a sudden?" she asked gently.

"They said it was because I was a unicorn," Trixie replied, sniffing back tears. "That unicorns don't have a place near them, and I should go and live somewhere else." She took a deep breath to calm herself, and continued. "Afterwards, I was left out alone in the forest, starving, penniless, naked, and cold, I was forced to wander aimlessly into the wilderness, with a whole village of earth ponies behind me shouting insults.

"I eventually found myself in Las Pegasus, and was forced to beg for food and bits on the ground streets. Whilst there, I noticed the ponies of the city were acting really strange. There were constant arguments, and even large groups of militia being organised to supposedly defend the New Kingdom of Las Pegasus."

Fluttershy and Luna exchanged nervous glances, both of them wondering, and fearing, what that could mean. "So what brought you out of Las Pegasus and all the way here?" Luna queried.

"It was this Saturday when I was forced out of town once more," Trixie replied. "It was the early morning when I had to take extreme measures to keep myself fed and alive. I stole an apple from the market, and was forced to run when I was caught stealing it. I was chased out of the city and into the wilderness, where I managed to lose them thanks to the woods. That apple kept me going for a day, but it wasn't enough, so I wandered aimlessly once more, hearing the harsh cries of ponies behind me who were looking for me.

"It was yesterday afternoon when I saw the tower of this castle, and willed myself there with what remaining strength I had left. I then saw the sandstorm coming this way, and forced myself to gallop inside. I took shelter in this tunnel, and rested to try and recover before setting off again, which I tried to just now. Then I saw you, Miss Firewing, and feared you were somepony from Las Pegasus looking for me. Therefore, I ran back down here to hide, and prayed you never saw or heard me. The rest you know."

Fluttershy looked at her sympathetically, the urge to hug her, to give her comfort, becoming too much for the compassionate pegasus. Eventually, she caved in to it. She leapt onto the unicorn, and wrapped her forelegs around her gently. "Well, it's okay now," she said gently, rubbing Trixie's back softly. "You are safe now. Nopony will hurt you."

Trixie pushed her away. "But I'm not safe, though. They will continue to look for me; they are probably out there looking for me now! They won't stop! They will never–" She was cut off from her frantic ranting when Fluttershy pressed a hoof against her lips, smiling assuredly.

"She is right, Fluttershy," Luna informed her. Fluttershy turned her head around to face the former Princess. "The Las Pegasus guards ponies are some of the toughest in Equestria. They never stop hunting those that have committed crimes in the city. If they were not far behind from Trixie then they may be close by."

Fluttershy and Trixie's eyes widened with glinting horror. "So what do we do?" the Dragonlord asked.

"We have to get back to the others, and make haste away from this place," Luna answered.

"But what about Trixie?" Fluttershy enquired, gesturing with her head at the unicorn, who was now trembling in fear.

"We have to leave her, Fluttershy," Luna answered, much to Fluttershy's horror. "I'm sorry, but we can't afford to have her tag along with us. We only have enough food for four. Besides, she'll be better off in a prison cell than with us."

Fluttershy shook her head, glaring at Luna with disgust. "I can't just leave her, Luna," she said. "Not like this." She began to slowly place Trixie onto her back. She could tell that Trixie didn't like this, but the unicorn was too exhausted, and too weak, to argue with her or fight back.

"What are you doing?" Luna demanded as she watched Fluttershy struggle with getting Trixie on her back. "Do you realise that bringing her with us might name her a traitor like us?"

"I'm well aware of that, Luna," Fluttershy replied. "But I can't just leave her down here to die, nor can I leave her to the prison cells of Las Pegasus. If we could take her as far as Strutford then maybe we can leave her at one of the hospitals. Better yet, take her with us to Horsca. She will receive great care there."

Luna looked set to argue, but closed her mouth when she realised that arguing with Fluttershy was pointless. Fluttershy was inclined to agree with her. Despite only knowing Trixie as an arrogant, spiteful liar who had once caused great havoc in Ponyville, her heart could not take seeing the unicorn in this state.

After a while, she managed to get the unicorn on her back, and felt the unicorn's legs wrap around her barrel and hips. "Comfortable?" she asked, looking back. Trixie nodded weakly. "Right, you'll be coming with us until you are better," she said kindly. With that, she broke into a gentle trot, with Trixie bouncing on her back, and Luna just behind, her sword loose and ready to draw if need be.

"You don't have to do this," Trixie grumbled persistently. "I don't need help. All I need is to lie down for a bit and fall asleep."

"I know I don't, but I am going to," Fluttershy insisted, looking back at her with a small smile.

"Why are you doing this?" Trixie queried wearily. "Why are you going out of your way just to help me? You should hate me for what I did to you and your town a year ago."

"Because nopony else will, Trixie," Fluttershy replied. "And yes, you wronged me once, as well as many other ponies. But what's the point of holding onto grudges? Grudges only lead to anger and hatred, and they lead to further suffering and anguish." Fluttershy's smile broadened. "We'll take you to Horsca, and they'll get you fixed up and better again. You have my word as a Thane of Horsca."

Trixie sighed and slumped. "Why can't you just get me to anywhere _but_ Las Pegasus? Why make such a hassle in taking me there?"

"Because no city in Equestria is safe, Trixie. Not anymore," Fluttershy answered grimly. She quickly recounted the news she had learnt in Appleloosa to the unicorn about the grim and unbelieving events that were transpiring across the country.

By the time Fluttershy had finished talking, she and Luna had rounded the bend and were walking slowly towards the main doors. "Are you certain of this?" Trixie whispered, her coat far paler in colour than usual.

"I'm afraid that Fluttershy speaks the truth, Trixie," Luna confirmed sadly. "And if you're correct about your story on Las Pegasus, then surely the newspaper can't be too far wrong."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped and let her ears prick right up when she heard raised voices.

Voices that she did not recognise.

"Oh no," she whispered. She lowered herself into a crouch, and walked up to the left-sided door. Luna followed suit, and hid behind the other.

"What is it?" Luna whispered nervously. On Fluttershy's back, Trixie began to shiver in terror.

Fluttershy craned her neck around the door, and pricked her ears right up to hear whoever was out there. Her heart stopped beating when she began to hear what they were saying.

"Are the prisoners secure?" one stallion asked in a gruff tone.

"Affirmative, sir," another replied in a far younger tone, but was still a stallion. "Me and Gedrin got the Princess before she could use her magic on us. We gagged her, tied her up quick and placed one of those unicorn things on her horn to stop her from using her magic. Dannica took on the little dragon. Tied him and gagged him pretty easily, I might add."

"Good. Any sign of the other Princess, or the Dragonlord?"

"None as yet, sir. They might have separated into small groups so they'd be harder to track down."

"Plausible, but I wouldn't have thought so. They know they'll be safer in full numbers. No, they're around here somewhere."

"What do we do now, sir?" the younger one asked. "Take the prisoners back with us?"

"No," the captain replied. "With our numbers we wouldn't be able to get far before their associates jump us and rescue them. The others and me will go back to camp and rouse some more troops. You will stay here and keep an eye on them. Do not under any circumstance engage Luna or Fluttershy should they appear. Let them free the others, and walk away from the castle. Once they're out of the castle, and you know they haven't spotted you, follow them a certain way until you can determine where they are heading. Report back to me as soon as you know."

"I won't let you down, sir," the stallion said.

"I know you won't, private." With that, the two ponies' hoofsteps faded away, as though they were heading back to the hall, where Cadence and Spike were now being held captive. A fact that didn't help Fluttershy's sensitive nerves. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, her breaths were quick and heavy and her eyes were wide with terror.

She glanced to her left to see a dark blue hoof on her shoulder, and looked up to see it was Luna's. The winged unicorn gave her a quick shake to calm her down. "What is it, what's wrong? What did you hear?" she asked.

"They've captured Cadence and Spike," Fluttershy replied once she was able to speak again. Luna's eyes widened in horror, and she could feel Trixie on her back beginning to tremble in fear of what might happen.

Luna took her hoof off Fluttershy's shoulder, and peered around the door. "Did you hear where they were being kept?" she whispered.

Fluttershy nodded. "In the old hall," she replied, gesturing with her head. Luna nodded her thanks, and then unsheathed _Nightbringer_ from her side, bringing it up to her face. Before she could take a step outside, Fluttershy stepped in front of her. "Wait, what do you think you're doing?"

Luna narrowed her eyes. "Saving our friends, Fluttershy. What does it look like?"

"You look like you're intending to spill blood to free them, that's what," Fluttershy replied. She shook her head. "We need to do this _without_ resorting to violence. Nopony needs to die tonight."

"Well how are we going to free two captives from a group of guards?" Luna enquired, cocking an eyebrow and tilting her head as she anticipated an answer from the pegasus.

An answer, which Fluttershy did not have on her tongue. "Oh, I don't know how, Luna," she said, shaking her head. "But I want to try this without having to kill a pony. And there's only one guard now."

"You don't have to kill the pony, you know. Just leave it to me and he won't feel a thing when I finish him," Luna boasted, smiling wryly.

Fluttershy narrowed her eyes at the former Night Princess. "I would like to get to Horsca without having to see a trail of dead ponies behind me." She peered past the door again, and looked up to see if she could see the guard. Thankfully, she couldn't. _'Okay, Fluttershy, you need to get your brain in gear,'_ Fluttershy thought. _'What do you have that can take the pony down without resorting to violence?'_

Her first thoughts were her good looks. She could use her charm and body to woo the stallion away, while Luna scurried over to the hall and freed Cadence and Spike. After a moment, she shook the thought away. _'That would never work,' _she decided. _'I can't even charm a pony into lowering the price for a ten bit cherry!' _Her mind began to work again as she tried to think of another way.

Another was to send the stallion on a wild goose chase after her while Luna ran into the hall and freed Spike and Cadence. Again, she shook the idea away. _'I can't go too far, or I'll get lost,'_ she realised. Besides, after a long day of walking, and staying up late at night, she felt like she couldn't move too quickly, despite being a Dragonlord.

'_This is getting hopeless,'_ she thought as she banged her head lightly on the door. She glanced up and saw that Luna was starting to get impatient. She realised that if she didn't think of a way soon, then Luna would head up there and end the pony's life. _'Come on, Fluttershy, what else do you have that isn't fatally lethal?'_ She quickly went through everything she had: her weapons, her legs, her flanks, her eyes…

'_My eyes!'_ she exclaimed in thought, grinning at herself. She knew exactly what to do. "Luna, could you take Trixie for me, please?" she asked pleasantly.

Luna, although looking confused, nodded, and gently lifted Trixie from Fluttershy's back and onto her own with her magic. "Do you have a plan?" she queried.

Fluttershy nodded confidently. "You just need to stay down here, while I go up top and hide for a moment. Wait a minute or so, then make some noise really loudly to attract the stallion towards you. Leave the rest to me," she explained in a hushed tone.

Luna looked slightly unnerved by Fluttershy's plan, but nodded. With Luna on board with her plan, Fluttershy swallowed down the nervousness building up in her throat, and started walking out of the tunnel. "Wish me luck," she said shakily as she tried to fight back her fear.

"Break a leg," Luna said, smiling encouragingly at her. Trixie didn't look up from staring at Luna's neck. Fluttershy nodded gratefully at the Princess, then turned around and headed up the slope.

"Okay," Fluttershy breathed, trying to keep herself calm, "just relax, Fluttershy, and keep it together. You've faced far worse than this. Far worse. You can do it. Just stare him in the eyes and don't show any fear." Yet she felt fear. A great amount of fear.

She quickly found herself standing out on the edge of the slope, and in full view of the hall. She spread her wings, and fluttered silently behind one of the ruined buildings to hide. After a moment, and realising she hadn't been spotted, she peered over the wall to have a look around.

The moon was hidden behind a thick wall of clouds, shrouding the world in complete darkness. Fluttershy could barely make out the hall, and neither could she see through the nearest window the pony and dragon held captive in there, or the guard holding them.

Her mind suddenly came up on the subject of bats, and her eyes widened as another idea surged into her head. She might not be able to see clearly in the dark, but she could hear better than most, and bats were just as good listeners as she was. So rather than relying on her eyes for the moment, she would hear her way around.

She pinned her ears upright, and closed her eyes as she blanked out all thoughts and other nocturnal sounds like the owls hooting in the forest around them. After a moment, she could hear the sound of hooves clopping against the stone ground. _'That must be the guard's hooves,'_ she reckoned. She listened carefully to the sound of the hooves, and her eyes widened when she concluded that he was coming this way.

Hastily, she backed away from the edge, and lowered herself to the ground, shaking in fright. _'Please don't look left, please don't look left,'_ she prayed continuously. Her heart went still, and her pupils shrunk to the size of pins when she saw him emerge from behind the building.

He was pretty tall for a guardspony. He had thick, strong legs, strong enough to cave a skull in with a single buck kick. His coat was a dark grey, and on his back, even though it was dark, she could make out the faint hint of golden colour on the steel plates of his armour, the colour and armour design for the ponies of Celestia's Royal Guard.

Fluttershy's eyes bulged when she realised he was a soldier of the Royal Guard. She couldn't believe they had caught up with them already. They probably did not even know they were trying to escape the desert, or in the desert for that matter, so why were they this far from Canterlot? Were they out here looking for them and came across them by chance, or was it because of Las Pegasus? Either way, she knew she had to find out, and she knew he had to stay alive. _'I might even learn what's going on with the rest of Equestria,'_ she reckoned.

Therefore, she waited and stood still as stone as the stallion walked slowly past, his golden eyes shining in the darkness and looking for any sign of movement. She breathed a silent sigh of relief when he didn't stop and try to tackle her. Things would have got violent really quickly, otherwise. With her belly as low to the ground as she could dare, she crawled slowly after the stallion, stopping every now and then when he stopped, and praying that he would not turn around suddenly.

"Wahooo!" the sound of Luna's voice echoed across the castle, making the stallion bolt his head upright and his ears flick up at the noise. He lowered himself into a cautious position, and moved slowly forward, the spear in his right leg lowered and ready to use.

Fluttershy rolled her eyes at the sound. _'I have no idea what that was meant to imitate,'_ she thought. She jumped a little when she saw the stallion was taking the bait and moving to check out the sound, and continued crawling after him. She prayed this would work, or otherwise there would be blood on their hooves; blood, that she would never be able to forgive herself for. _'I've had the blood of one too many on my hooves already,' _she thought sullenly in remembrance to the first – and hopefully only – time she killed something with her own hooves.

Her father was in danger, and was knocked unconscious by a large, terrifying reman. In haste, she had jumped the creature, intending to only knock it out, but recoiled back in horror and sickness when she had opened her eyes to find _Firewing_ in its side, and the reman lying dead with its eyes wide with pain. _'Those might have been the eyes of a monster, but he was still a living creature that was capable of joy, pain, sorrow, and everything else we are capable of,' _she thought. Many times since coming back to Ponyville she wished she could go back and change what happened to what she would have preferred to happen, but knew such a wish was stupid and impossible. She knew she would have to just accept the fact she had killed someone, and move on. _'Besides, I'm a Dragonlord. I'm meant to kill something,'_ Fluttershy thought, yet those words sounded vile in her head.

She broke out of her thoughts when she suddenly realised the stallion was just by the slope leading down into the tunnels, and about to head down there after Luna and Trixie. _'Time to see if this works,'_ she thought, swallowing down her fear for the moment. She needed to brave, if not for herself then for Luna, Trixie, Cadence and Spike.

She spread her wings out wide, her wing blades glistening in the low moon light, and hovered silently just above the ground. She waited a few seconds to see if the stallion would turn around, and when she felt assured he wouldn't, she floated gently forward, her nerves screaming at her to turn back and run.

However, not matter how loud her nerves screamed, she would not run. She is a Dragonlord of Terra, a warrior pony who had fought battles and defeated far greater foes than a single pegasus stallion of the Royal Guard. _'I can take him down easily,'_ she thought proudly of herself. Whether that was the arrogance of a Dragonlord speaking, or herself, she could not say.

She stopped till she was hovering just above the guardspony, who was looking down the slope with squinted eyes to try and make out who was down there, and figuring whether or not to investigate. This was Fluttershy's chance, and she didn't hesitate.

She quickly tapped the pony on the shoulder, making him turn his head around to see who it was. His eyes widened quickly upon seeing Fluttershy hovering behind him, and spun around in an attempt to take her down. Before he could bring his spear to bear, Fluttershy widened her own eyes, and used the 'Dragon Stare'.

The 'Dragon Stare' was an ancient power, used by the first dragons to quell entire armies and send them running off the battlefield before any blood could be spilt. It was a trait passed down to every Dragonlord, and Fluttershy was a master of it, having used a less powerful version of it since her birth. Now with her Dragonlord abilities unlocked, she could use its full potential, and to any pony looking into it, was like looking into his or hers worst nightmares formed into one.

The stallion's grey coat turned lighter as his wide, terrified eyes locked into her own, as hers ground into his soul. He spun his body around and began to back away from her, in the hope he would break away from this devilish mare's gaze. He forgot that there was a slope just behind him.

He suddenly lost his footing, and fell backwards and rolled down the slope, screaming in pain as he fell. Fluttershy broke off her 'Dragon Stare' and clamped her hooves over her mouth in shock. "Oh dear," she said aloud. She quickly looked over the slope to see the stallion on the ground, with his forelegs on one his hind legs, gritting his teeth as he tried to bear the pain. "Oh my, I'm so sorry I hurt you, sir!" she called down. She suddenly saw Luna appear next to him, looking down at him emotionlessly. "Luna! Is he okay?"

"I think one of his hind legs are broken," Luna replied, her sword _Nightbringer_ appearing in front of her, which unnerved Fluttershy slightly. "But other than that he's fine." She added in a hushed whisper, "But not for long."

Fluttershy breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Ah, that's good. Could you bring him up here please so we could have a look and see what we can do to help him… um, please?" Fluttershy squinted her eyes when she saw Luna now standing directly above the stallion, with her sword rising slowly in the air, and the stallion looking up at her in fear.

"Luna? What are you doing?" Fluttershy called.

"What is necessary," Luna replied regretfully, raising _Nightbringer_ above her head, and getting herself ready to strike down on the stallion's head.

It took Fluttershy a heartbeat to realise what the former Princess was about to do. "LUNA, NO!" she yelled. In an instant she galloped down the slope as fast as she could, and leapt onto Luna, tackling her to the ground just before _Nightbringer_ could embed itself in the stallion's skull.

Before Luna could haul herself up, Fluttershy pinned the Princess down by the shoulders and side, and looking at her with shock and disgust, while _Nightbringer_ fell out of Luna's magic and clattered to the ground. Once Luna broke out of her daze, she looked up at Fluttershy with surprise. That surprise quickly turned to anger. "What did you just do?" Luna demanded.

Fluttershy did not answer; she did not want to answer. She felt sickened just by looking at the Princess. She took her hooves off the Princess and spun around to look at the stallion, who was lying on the ground, watching the scene with confusion. "Can you walk?" she asked unpleasantly, for she felt like she could not control her anger.

The stallion nodded stiffly, his features giving away his fear of what might happen to him. Fluttershy walked to stand alongside him, and then helped lift him to his hooves. "Put a leg around my shoulders if it helps," Fluttershy said. The stallion nodded, and wrapped his right foreleg over her shoulders. She looked into his pretty gold eyes, and saw great fear in them, fear of what would happen to him. At that moment, her anger faded to the back of her mind, and she gave him a warm, assuring smile. "Come on, let's take you outside."

The stallion nodded, and together the two ponies walked slowly up the slope and out of the tunnels, leaving behind two dazed and shocked ponies. "Take care of Cadence and Spike while I look after him," Fluttershy called to Luna, not wanting to turn around to look at her.

Once they were out of the tunnels and back in the castle grounds, they moved slowly across the pavement, and passed the hall. "By Celestia it hurts," the stallion hissed, gritting his teeth and groaning in pain.

Fluttershy's ears went flat at seeing this pony in such a state, so she moved a little bit faster just so they could get out of the castle and somewhere safe and secure for the moment. "We're nearly there, just keep your leg up for a bit longer," she said.

They were soon outside the castle boundaries, and on the edge of the forest that surrounded it. Fluttershy stopped and had a quick look and listen around for signs that the other guards were not far away. Apart from the sound of Spike grumbling as he was untied, and the occasional bird tweet, there was nothing. Slowly, she guided the stallion to sit on his haunches, and then backed away a little. "Okay, so which leg is it that hurts?" Fluttershy asked. She might not know much about equine anatomy to fix it, but she knew she could try and make it better.

The stallion looked at her with cold, yet frightened eyes, and then gestured with his head at his right hind leg, which was being held up and off the ground. Fluttershy walked up to him, then sat down on her rump and leaned her head in to get a closer look. The leg didn't look broken, thankfully, nor was there signs of any blood from cuts. There was, however, a large red mark over the offending area, on the ankle. She brought a hoof up, and gently ran it along the leg to see how it felt.

The stallion kicked out in instinct when her hoof ran over the red mark, making Fluttershy flinch back by it, unhurt but startled by the sudden movement. "I don't think it's broken," she said once she had recovered. "I've seen a broken ankle on a fox once, and it looked much different to this." She tapped her chin in thought as she tried to come up with a diagnosis. "I think you might have sprained it."

She looked up at him, and couldn't help but feel hurt when she saw he was looking at her like she was an enemy. She knew she needed to win his trust soon, or she would learn nothing from him. "If I had any bandages with me I would wrap it up nicely, but I don't, I'm afraid."

She began looking around for something she could use as an alternative to help soothe the pain. _'If I recall a book I had once read, there was a plant that grew under the trees that healed sprained legs.' _It was fortunate since trees surrounded her. Her eyes squinted as she looked at the base of the trees around them. Her eyes widened when she saw it close by. "Stay here," she said, before leaping up and galloping towards the plant.

"That's all I can do!" the stallion called back through gritted teeth.

Fluttershy ignored him, and slowed down when she was in front of it. A small herb, hidden among the trees and bushes, was one that always fascinated Fluttershy, and, she recalled, helped her out on many occasions when she had a sprained ankle. It was a dark green, with leaves like thin snowflakes, and shimmered in the moonlight that shone through the canopy.

She picked it up with her teeth, and quickly cantered back to the stallion, who looked at it skeptically. "How on Terra is a plant going to help me with a sprained ankle?" he asked.

Fluttershy spat it out, and ripped off one of the leaves on the herb. "This isn't your ordinary herb you would find; this is a Doglaviris herb," Fluttershy explained. "And it's not exactly the leaves I want, it's the water on them." She emphasised the point by gently placing a leaf on his knee, then holding it down as the water from the leaf soaked in. "I'm so sorry about this."

The stallion grimaced and groaned in pain, but that look began to evaporate as he realised the pain was easing away. Fluttershy couldn't help but smile smugly at the look of disbelief on his face. She pulled the leaf away, and saw the redness of the knee was beginning to fade away. She took off the leaf, and placed another one in its stead. "Now, hold that down until the pain is entirely gone," she ordered.

The stallion nodded, and quickly placed a hoof on the leaf, while looking at Fluttershy with disbelief. "The herb gives out water from what it stole from the trees," Fluttershy explained. "The water is full of, um, basically painkillers that the herb emanates, and when worked into the ankle it heals it over a short period of time."

The stallion nodded, though she could see most of it flew through one ear and out the other. _'Am I beginning to sound like Twilight?' _she thought.

"Why are you doing this?" the stallion muttered, his eyes moving to look at the ground between them. "Why are you helping me?"

Fluttershy tilted her head as though confused by the question, then gently leaned over and lifted his head with a hoof so he could look her in the eye. "Because I can," she said kindly, smiling gently. "Because I can't stand to see somepony hurt, physically or mentally. So I help them, in anyway that I can."

The stallion brought his head away from Fluttershy's hoof, staring at her in surprise. "So, you're not a cold-blooded killer?"

Fluttershy snorted in offence. "I despise killing, mister, and I am not cold-blooded." She looked away, her eyes narrow and her expression cold. "Is that a nasty rumour being spread about me?" she asked, trying not to look or sound like she was hurt, yet she was. The thought of so many ponies hating her hurt so much more than any pain she had ever felt before.

The stallion nodded slowly, his ears falling flat in guilt. "It came from the high command of the Royal Guard, I think, and just got passed down to others. I can see now that those rumours are false."

"Yeah, well don't believe every rumour you hear," Fluttershy warned him, glancing back at the stallion, "for they could end up hurting many ponies." She suddenly noticed she had him talking, and decided to act on it while they waited for the pain to go away. "For instance, I heard one rumour about Las Pegasus becoming its own kingdom. But I doubt that's true."

She looked back at the pony, and saw in the stallion's eyes the confirmation of that rumour. "I'm afraid that you have heard correctly, Dragonlord. Las Pegasus has separated itself from the rest of country, as has the towns in the desert, and Hoofington and Trottingham as well, now."

Fluttershy's eyes widened at the ill news. "So, why are you out here? Because, I imagine you weren't looking for us here intentionally."

Again, the stallion's eyes confirmed that belief. "Yesterday, the Royal Guard received orders from Princess Celestia to mobilise in full, and were split up, with some heading to the borders of these separated states, while others were deployed to try and keep the peace in the loyal towns," the guard explained. "We also received orders to be on the look-out for you and your little band, and to capture and hold you until the Element Bearers arrive to take you away."

Fluttershy's eyes widened even more. "The Element Bearers!" she exclaimed. That was bad – really, really bad. Twilight was an uncanny tactician and leader, and with Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow and Rarity with her, they became an unstoppable team. _'Of course Celestia would send them,'_ she thought. _'I doubt there's anypony she can trust more than them.' _Now, she realised, she would have to outsmart the five ponies she could never outwit in her four years of knowing them. _'Things have just got worse.'_

"What about you?" she asked, gesturing at him with her head. "What brings you out here?"

"The soldiers of the tenth Royal Guard legion were dispatched to surround the territory of the New Kingdom of Las Pegasus, and await further orders until the envoys have finished their work– which, I might add, they will fail."

Fluttershy tilted her head. "Wait, did you just say, envoys?" she asked, pointing at him with a hoof.

The stallion nodded. "Celestia had a whole group of ponies hastily trained to be envoys, and sent them to the separated states to try and bring them back without bloodshed. She's given them all two weeks to convince the separated states to come back," he explained.

"And, what if they refuse to come back?" Fluttershy asked nervously, already dreading the answer.

The stallion's eyes moved to look in-between them. "Then I'm afraid that war is the only inevitable conclusion," he answered grimly.

Fluttershy felt the colour of her coat drain from her body. _'War!'_ she thought incredulously. Not since the reign of King Sombra of the Crystal Empire had ponies spilt each other's blood in a full-scale war. Not since the times of chaos and madness of that time in the past, where history is muddled and incoherent. _'The hammer-fall that will split Equestria into chaos and violence it hasn't seen in thousands of years.' _

Now Fluttershy could see what Vidarr truly meant. The hammer-fall had been struck, the cracks had appeared and had begun to spread across Equestria, and it would only be a matter of time – two weeks, in fact – before everypony fell into them and be consumed in the fires of war. _'I have to stop this.'_ But the question is: how?

She didn't know, and it made her more afraid than she was already. It was becoming exactly like she had feared. She now felt that she could not save Equestria from splitting itself apart, and save her friends from whatever held them at the same time.

Then she remembered she had those that were with her to help her undo this damage. Spike, Cadence, Luna… Her eyes suddenly narrowed with seething anger when she thought of Luna, and what she was about to do to the pony in front of her. _'Once I deal with this stallion, I'm going to have words with Luna,' _she decided, though she couldn't think of any kind words to say to her presently.

She cleared her head for a second and looked back down at the stallion's hind leg, and said, "You can take the leaf away now, if you want." The stallion nodded, and threw the leaf off his leg. Both ponies' eyes widened upon looking at his hind leg, for the redness had gone completely. "Does it hurt?"

The stallion lifted himself onto all fours, and pressed the offending leg down gently until he felt it could take his weight. "It feels much better," he replied, sounding surprised. "As if it wasn't hurt at all." He looked up at Fluttershy again, his look expressing his gratitude. "How can I ever repay you for this?"

"By saying we headed south, back into the desert with intentions to get into the Southlands," Fluttershy replied, her eyes pleading with him to say yes. She saw his look waver and his eyes flick from place to place, as though he was fighting to decide on whether to go against his loyalty to the Princess, or his debt of gratitude to the Dragonlord.

Finally, he relented. "I'll do that," he sighed. "Anypony sent after you will head south. You have my word."

Fluttershy smiled, even though she could not say whether or not he was genuine about it. "Thank you." She gestured with her head for him to leave. "Now go, before somepony finds you here with me." The stallion nodded, and began to trot out of the woods and away from the castle. "Wait!" Fluttershy called. The stallion stopped and turned his head back around. "I forgot to ask. What is your name?"

"My name's Robyn, Miss Firewing," he replied. He swiftly bowed his head. "I will not forget your kindness today, Fluttershy. Thank you." With that, he spun around and galloped through the trees, and out of sight.

Fluttershy watched him go, and sighed. _'I hope he was telling the truth when he said he would tell them we headed south rather than north,'_ she thought in prayer. She sat on her rump, and let her mind begin to go through the information she had learnt from Robyn. _'Okay, so we have two weeks before a devastating civil war begins,' _she summarised. She briefly wondered why would Celestia give them all two weeks, rather than rush in and slaughter them all before they could properly defend themselves, like the Celestia that Fluttershy met in Canterlot would have done. Just as she thought that, the answer came to her, and her face lit up in joy because of it.

'_She's fighting whatever is holding her,'_ she realised. Her eyes widened even more when she theorised something else. _'Maybe this two week wait isn't a political move; maybe it's a message! A message to us!' _TheCelestia Fluttershy knew, despite being trapped deep in the body of a madpony, still had enough power to burst out for a moment and instigate a two weeks' notice for the ponies to consider coming back. However, it wasn't for them to hear, it was for her and her companions. They were meant to hear the message, and use the two weeks to act against whatever was holding them, and save Equestria and everypony.

Fluttershy felt like bouncing up and down in joy, until her mind reminded her of one small problem. Even if the others believed her, two weeks is still too short to fix everything, so how could they do it? _'We just have to hope Vidarr finds out what we need to know wherever he is,' _Fluttershy replied to her mind. _'And be quick enough to tell us about it.'_

She spun around and trotted back into the castle, intending to tell Cadence, Spike, Trixie and Luna about this news. She stopped and took a deep breath to control herself when she remembered Luna could have killed Robyn in cold blood had she not intervened. Despite everything she had learnt from the laws of the Dragonlords, she felt she could ignore one of the rules for this one time. With that in mind, she broke into a fast trot to get back into the hall.

She pushed one of the front doors open, sending it to the ground with the force of her push. She looked from Cadence, Spike and Trixie, who were sitting quietly together, to Luna, who had been pacing up and down as though she was waiting for something. At the sight of the Princess, Fluttershy felt sick again. The Princess was going to kill somepony in cold blood, wounded and frightened for his life, and that was something she felt she could never forgive; she couldn't forgive herself for nearly doing the same thing.

She narrowed her eyes, gritted her teeth and trotted quickly over to the Night Princess, who started walking up to her, her eyes demanding an explanation. "Fluttershy, what did you do to the g–?" Luna was cut off when Fluttershy slapped her hard across the face, making everypony in the hall gasp in astonishment.

For a moment, all went silent – even the birds stopped singing. Luna and Fluttershy stood firmly where they were, with Luna holding a hoof against her left cheek as it went red. When Luna recovered, she slowly turned her head to look at Fluttershy, who looked back at her with eyes of burning rage. Her teeth were gritted together as she tried to keep her anger in check, but could not control it. And she was glad for that. She wanted to release it, to let it all out, and Luna was the only pony that she could release it on.

"What, the hay, is WRONG WITH YOU?" Fluttershy yelled, her voice bellowing across the hall, and making everypony back away in fright of Fluttershy's anger. "I want to go through this without bloodshed, yet you think the only way forward is through the sword? If that is what you think then you are no better than a cold-blooded murderer!"

Luna took a deep breath, her eyes wide with shock at the sudden action from the usually quiet pegasus. "I did what I thought to be necessary, Fluttershy," Luna explained. "I though-"

"Necessary! How can killing an _unarmed_ pony who's wounded and needs help be considered _necessary_?" Fluttershy bellowed, her anger only increasing at the meagre defence given by Luna.

"Because, Fluttershy, sometimes you have to make the wrong choices, for the best of your group," Luna answered, glancing over to the others, who shrank back at her gaze.

Fluttershy took a deep breath to calm herself, which failed miserably. "Well that choice has been taken from you now! He's too far away from you to get your vile hooves on him!" she yelled, pointing at the Princess's hooves.

Another great silence filled the room, the others looking at Fluttershy incredulously. Luna was the only one to look enraged at her. "You let him _go_? You fool!" She snapped, bringing her head close in a bid for Fluttershy to flinch back. The pegasus, however, stood her ground. "Don't you realise what you have done? You have risked us all with your stupid actions!"

"No, I haven't, because Robyn said he was going to tell them that we just escaped and headed south!" Fluttershy yelled in response, bringing her head closer.

Luna's face twisted further in rage and she brought her head closer, until the two ponies' heads were locked in a fierce struggle for dominance. "If you think that then you are a stupid, gullible fool! He was a soldier of the Royal Guard! He would not betray his superiors just because you convinced him by spreading your legs!"

"How dare you!" Fluttershy yelled through gritted teeth, pushing Luna's head back with her own. "You might, but I would never stoop that low! I healed his leg for him, that's all! Besides, I don't want to kill anything! I may be a Dragonlord, but there are other ways to end conflict without resorting to violence! See, you learn something new everyday! Perhaps you should learn some compassion, or did you lose all of it when you became Nightmare Moon!"

"Just to let you know, I stopped a full-scale war with the whole Griffon Kingdom and the zebras by words alone! And who are you to say that you don't want to kill anything? It is far too late for that wish to come true, you know. I've seen your dreams and your nightmares, and I know that there is blood on your hooves, Fluttershy Firewing! More blood than I ever thought! Do you recall the pain in that reman's eyes as you tore his li-!"

"ENOUGH!" Cadence bellowed. She jumped up and pushed the two ponies forcibly away from each other, then stood between them, glaring at both of them. "Is that how we are going to act, like children trading petty insults at each other in the schoolyard?"

Both ponies looked at the ground in front of them, now feeling ashamed of how they acted. "I expected better from both of you, especially you, Fluttershy! I thought you were above such childish behaviour!" Fluttershy shrank back from Cadence's anger as though it was stinging, her look one of shame. "And you, aunt, I never expected you to stoop as low as to what you just said to her!" Luna shrank back as well. "You, outside, now! I'll talk to you in a minute."

Luna nodded, and briskly trotted past Cadence and Fluttershy, not daring to look at either of them, and went outside. With the nightly alicorn out of the way, Cadence turned to Fluttershy with a questioning expression. "Fluttershy, look at me," she ordered sharply, yet gently.

The way Cadence said it sounded too gentle to Fluttershy's ears, and she flinched back in response. After a moment, she looked into Cadence's eyes, and saw the eyes of a warrior Princess, rather than the Princess of Love she had thought her to be.

Cadence was armed to the teeth. Strapped to her left side was the sword Luna had found for her, with its crystal pommel shining in the moonlight, and its cross-guard gleaming silver. On her right was the longbow, with a large quiver of arrows strapped to her back, ready to be pulled out and loosed whenever she desired.

"And just what do you have to say for yourself?" Cadence enquired, shifting an eyebrow in disappointment.

Fluttershy closed her eyes as tears of shame built up in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Cadence. I know I shouldn't have said all of those things, but I couldn't help myself. I haven't felt that angry in such a long time." She cleared her eyes, and looked back up at Cadence. "I apologise to all of you for seeing and hearing that, but I will not apologise to _her_."

Cadence's frown faltered slightly. "I didn't expect you would. Now, I have an aunt to talk to." She began to slowly walk towards the door, her swords and bow clattering with every step.

"Cadence?" Fluttershy called. The alicorn stopped and turned back around. "I want to know something: what would you have done if you had the choice? Would you have killed him there, or let him live?"

Cadence looked at her sadly, almost sympathetically. "To be honest, Fluttershy, and it isn't easy to say this, believe me, but I would have killed him." Fluttershy's ears flattened across her head, and her eyes spoke of the betrayal she felt in her. "It's not like it is an easy choice for me to make, it isn't – far from it in fact. But like Luna said, it is the necessary one."

When Fluttershy didn't reply, she continued. "Listen, that pony was trained to follow the Princess's orders, and would be entirely loyal to her and nopony else – not even you. He will tell his superiors that we're heading north rather than south, for anypony can see that is where we're now heading, and they will try everything they can think of to catch us between here and Horsca. Others will be informed, and they will try to blockade Horsca from us, or try to corral us into a place where we'll be trapped. Silencing him permanently would have been made our trip there much easier, but the chance of a more peaceful passage has now been squashed, thanks to you."

Fluttershy's eyes lowered to look at the ground, finding herself unable to look at Cadence anymore. "How can you say that?" she asked, her tone stating her disgust. "How can you act so cold?"

Cadence's own ears fell flat, and she sighed. "It's not easy being a Princess, you know. Sometimes you make a choice, and though you know it is morally questionable, it sometimes is the right one to make." With that, she turned away and walked out of the hall, leaving Fluttershy, Spike and Trixie in stunned silence.

Fluttershy shook her head, unbelieving that she had just heard that from a pony she thought was the Princess of love. _'I thought she was an understanding pony. I guess I was wrong,'_ she thought. She was wrong about a lot of things recently, it seemed. She rubbed her forehead, groaning while feeling her body tremble with anger. Despite Cadence's plausible explanation, she couldn't see how both Princesses would act and think so coldly. _'Is that what means to be a Princess? To detach yourself from that sort of emotion to make it easier to take life? Is that what it means to be a leader?_' If so, then she would have no part in it.

She spun her head around when she felt a hoof on her shoulder, and saw Trixie looking at her sympathetically, shaking with exhaustion as she tried to stand upright. "For the record, what you just did back there was very noble. It was stupid, yes, but noble nonetheless."

Fluttershy looked away, her eyes narrow and her ears flat. "What was? Letting the guard go, or slapping Princess Luna?"

"Both, actually," Trixie answered, making Fluttershy look at her again in surprise. "Not many ponies could get away with slapping a Princess of Equestria, or even say they did. But I want to know: why did you spare him, and why was he, and all of those guards, after you in the first place?"

After a moment of pondering on whether to tell the unicorn, Fluttershy sighed and bowed her head once more. "Two days ago, me, Spike and the two Princesses were accused of treason by false documents stating our plans to go against Princess Celestia and Equestria." Trixie's eyes went wide in horror, and she backed away from her as though she was cursed. Fluttershy looked up at her. "We were going to be imprisoned in stone by the Elements of Harmony, and if it wasn't for my friend Vidarr arriving, we would be in stone right now. We were framed, Trixie, and I want to find out who did it, and why."

Trixie tilted her head confusedly. "I still don't get how that answers you sparing that guard's life?"

"Because, Trixie, we are _not_ traitors," Fluttershy answered. She pointed in the direction Robyn had fled. "And if he had died at our hooves, then we would become the traitors we are branded as. I would rather haul myself back to Canterlot and turn myself into stone if a pony died at our hooves."

Fluttershy turned her back on Trixie and Spike, and sighed as she looked up at the night sky. _'Did I make the right choice, dad?'_ she asked. _'Would you have spared that pony's life, and let him go as I have done?' _

Her father didn't come down and tell her she made the right choice, as she had hoped, so she had to make do with what her heart told her, and it said that she was in the right. If he had died, then they would become the traitors they were named as, and they would have to run and hide like cowards. There were times when Fluttershy thought of herself as a coward, plenty of times, yet now she could see that this time was not the time to hide, or be a coward. They could only run. Yet even then, she knew they couldn't run forever. With war threatening Equestria, she knew she had to stop and take a stand, like her father and her ancestors would have done.

After a moment of thought, she looked back at Trixie expectantly. "What about you? What are you going to do?" Fluttershy asked. "Now you know the truth, it would be easier if we parted ways."

Trixie nodded in agreement. "You're right, it would be easier. Yet I'm not going to leave you." Fluttershy's eyebrows flicked up in surprise, while Spike's eyes widened in horror. "You have shown me great kindness tonight, and given me a reason to keep on living and going. I know it's not going to be easy, running from everything and everyone, but if I can help in any way, then I shall."

Fluttershy's lips curled into a small smile. "Thank you, Trixie," she said.

Trixie bowed her head. "So tell me, where are we heading?"

"To Horsca, in the north," Fluttershy answered.

"We're planning to go through the Unicorn Range to get there," Spike added.

Trixie's eyes widened. "The Unicorn Range?" she repeated. Fluttershy and Spike nodded. "Have any of you ever been through the Unicorn Range?" Both of them quickly shook their heads in reply. "Well it's not a place for the inexperienced. There are hundreds of paths across the Range that could send you anywhere, or back to where you started. Thankfully, I know the routes you want to take to get north, so I could guide you there, if you'd like."

Spike opened his mouth to protest Trixie's guidance, but before he could utter a word of protest, Fluttershy slammed a hoof into his mouth. "We will gladly take the offer. Thank you, Trixie," she said, smiling.

Trixie smiled as well; visibly glad she was going to be useful. "Right, I need to go and find that sword I had down in the tunnels." With that, she turned around and walked slowly out of the hall.

"Won't you like somepony to come with you incase you get injured or collapse?" Fluttershy protested.

"I'll be fine, Fluttershy. I feel better than I did this morning. Now if you'll excuse me, Trixie must find her weapon." She broke into a trot and left the hall, leaving a fuming Spike with a slightly happier Fluttershy.

"How can you invite _her_ along with us?" Spike asked, gesturing with an arm at the direction she just left, and glaring at Fluttershy. "She'll be an utter nuisance to us – to me – and she'll probably won't stop complaining about everything – in fact, she'll probably won't shut up half the time."

Fluttershy glanced at him, flicking an eyebrow up. "I don't think she'll be that much of a nuisance; we need her to get through the Unicorn Range. And I don't think she'll complain as much as some ponies I know. She is a travelling showmare, after all; she's probably used to harsh conditions like the ones we'll face when we get there."

After a moment, Spike sighed. "I suppose," he conceded.

Fluttershy slung a leg over his shoulders. "Now, Spike, I know you don't like her, and for that matter neither do I entirely. However, she might turn out to be a real sweetheart. So, give her a chance like I did with Discord. Okay?"

After a minute, Spike nodded. "I'll do it for you, Fluttershy, but if she annoys me once, don't hold me responsible for my actions."

Fluttershy giggled. "I won't, promise." She brought her leg back down, and the two fell into silence as they waited for the others.

A few minutes later, Cadence and Luna appeared through the door, the former looking at Fluttershy amiably and shamefully, while the latter looked at her with a hateful glare. _'She doesn't like me anymore,' _Fluttershy thought. She shrugged it away. _'That's okay. The feeling's mutual.' _

Trixie came through the door a minute later, her short sword sheathed at her left side and strapped around her neck. "Why do you have that sword?" Cadence asked, pointing at it.

"Because she is coming with us," Fluttershy answered. Cadence and Luna spun their heads around to look at her. "She's coming with us to Horsca to get some proper treatment from the horses." The look she had on her face made it clear that the decision was final.

Cadence sighed. "Very well then. Let us get away from this place before the Royal Guard come back with more numbers." With that, she led the group out of the hall and through the castle grounds. Fluttershy looked back from time to time to see if Trixie was okay, and relaxed a little when she saw the unicorn was still following them, albeit slowly.

Fluttershy stopped and stepped to the side, waiting for Trixie to catch up. "I'll stay behind you to make sure you don't fall too far behind," she said kindly to the unicorn. Trixie nodded in thanks, and then broke into a trot. With Trixie in front, Fluttershy began walking once more with Spike beside her, silently glad to put some distance between herself and Luna.

"Oh, isn't this great!" Trixie exclaimed as she walked, her body shaking to keep herself upright and moving. "Two Princesses, a baby dragon, a unicorn and a pegasus, brought together through circumstance! I think that if we are gonna stay together for some time, then maybe we should have a group name. How about this one? 'The Great and Powerful Posse'!"

Instead of groaning like Fluttershy thought he would, Spike tapped his chin with a claw as he pondered on something. "You know, being turned to stone doesn't sound as agonisingly bad as listening to Trixie all day. I think I might wait for the guards back at the castle and surrender." He turned around and began to jog back to the castle.

Before he could get far, however, Fluttershy wrapped her tail around him, spun him back around and pushed him back to her side. "Sorry, Spike, but you're not leaving my sight."

Spike sighed and slumped as he walked beside her. Fluttershy could sympathise with him; the only time she had known Trixie was as a savage bully who had enslaved her town. Yet she had known Discord as only a monster, and she had become the only friend he had. All it took was time and patience to befriend the creature of chaos, and it would be the same with Trixie. _'I will look past the arrogant side of her, and she will become my friend,' _Fluttershy declared to herself. Vidarr knew she needed all the friends she had if she was going to survive.

With that in mind, and slightly pleased their numbers had been bolstered by one, Fluttershy followed the others as they left the castle behind them, and wandered deep into the large woodland that surrounded the castle.

None of them dared to look back.


	7. Chapter 7

When morning broke over the canopies of the trees above them, it was bleak, miserable and nasty, much like Fluttershy's mood. Her mood only grew fouler when the heavens opened up and the rain began to fall.

She stared at the ground intensely, as though her eyes alone would make the earth break apart before her. Her ears were flat and her tail dragged behind her, picking up sloppy mud and dirt. She felt the rain hit her back like she was being poked a thousand times, and could feel the water dripping down her mane, neck, back and rump. It was enough to bring her out of her intense staring, and she realised her neck felt stiff and achy after keeping her head so low for so long. She let out a sombrely sigh, and then looked up for the first time in what felt like hours to take in her surroundings.

The land had changed little since they moved away from the derelict castle and had trekked deeper into the woods. Trees taller than the towers of Canterlot rose up into the sky, with huge branches reaching out to each other like they were holding hands. It was a sweet sight, and it made Fluttershy smile a little. However, even that she felt strain painfully.

Movement caught her attention and she looked right and tensed herself in preparation of an attack by Royal Guard ponies. She looked up, and quickly relaxed when she saw two squirrels and their two children looking out of the hole of a tree, hoping for the rain to stop soon. She wished she could stop to help them, but knew she couldn't. They had to keep moving; they couldn't afford to stop just yet.

For hours since leaving the castle, Fluttershy kept her ears up as high as they could so she could hear any threats coming their way, made reality by her doing. So far, they did not hear any trumpets or the cries of soldiers giving chase. Fluttershy was thankful of that, but it didn't seem to improve the mood of any of her companions. _'Thinking of which, I haven't heard a peep from them since leaving the castle. Are they still with me?'_

She looked back and forth at her fellow travellers, and saw that they more or less looked like she felt: cold, wet and miserable. Luna walked ahead, her head tall and proud, while her eyes were set in a hard stare of seething anger. Cadence was looking down at the ground, her ears flat and her mane looked longer, and soggier.

While Spike walked next to Trixie, looking more miserable than most as he had to put up with the unicorn's relentless questioning; questions that were all about the one pony he wanted to forget at the moment.

"So, does Twilight Sparkle tend to keep her books in one, organised pile, has them shelved, or in an utter mess?" Trixie asked. Fluttershy pinned her ears up and glanced over her shoulder so she could see and hear this interesting, if not one-sided, conversation.

Although she was reluctant to let Spike wallow in misery while answering Trixie's questions, she couldn't allow the little dragon to leave her alone so the unicorn would fall behind. _'Besides,'_ she thought, _'they might actually get to know each other better.' _Unfortunately, they hadn't; in fact, it seemed to make Spike's opinion on Trixie grow even worse. Nevertheless, she wanted things to work out between them all, or else they would never get to Horsca together.

"No, she does nothing to her books, except reading them. _I_ do the clearing up while she gallivants off to do something else. Only one day Twilight sorts out her books and she calls that Re-shelving Day, complete with capitals," Spike answered wearily.

He saw Fluttershy looking at him, and gave her a pleading look that said, "Please put me out of my misery." Fluttershy smiled at him, and then gestured with her head for him to come and walk next to her.

"Fascinating. Well, what about magic practice?" Trixie asked, looking at Spike questioningly. "Does Twilight Sparkle practice new magic spells in her house, or in a meadow far away so nopony can see?"

"Anywhere where she can get some peace and quiet," Spike answered. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to Fluttershy about something." He quickly raced away from Trixie's side and jogged up to Fluttershy.

"It was nice talking to you!" Trixie called tiredly.

Spike cringed as though he had heard a fierce, scraping sound that rattled his ears. "Yeah, nice talking to you too!" he called back. He turned to Fluttershy, cringing. "Do you know how wrong Trixie talking nicely sounds?"

Fluttershy giggled, her mood now improved by the two's conversation. "Twilight said to me how nice she spoke to her after the whole magic duel fiasco, so it isn't impossible for her to sound nice."

"Probably, but it still sounds so wrong," Spike complained. He quickly cleared out his ears, as though listening to Trixie had filled them with unpleasant muck. "Thanks for getting me away from her for a bit, Fluttershy. I think I've heard enough about Twilight and what she does for one day; she even asked me how long she takes baths for! _Baths_! Trixie's obsessed with her."

Fluttershy smiled wryly at the little dragon. "I thought it was quite sweet, myself."

Spike looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. "How can you call an obsession like that _sweet_?"

Fluttershy gave Spike the most innocent look she could muster. "Well, it's like when I was little, I had an obsession with a cinema star that I watched in one film. He was handsome, charming, had lovely blue eyes, and," she lowered her voice and head and whispered, "he had a really nice bum." She shook her head to clear the image from her mind, then looked at Spike again, who stared at her oddly. "What I'm trying to say is, it's fine to admire or be talkative about somepony, so long as it doesn't go too far and you end up having a shrine made in your obsession's honour. That's when obsession starts to get creepy."

Spike looked at her with fascinated eyes. His look gave way to a small smirk. "You know, your words are going to come back and bite you on the rump, you mark my words," he warned playfully.

Fluttershy giggled. "I doubt that would ever happen. Who would want to obsess over me, anyway? And don't pretend you dislike obsession. You were the same with Rarity when you tried to win her affections."

"Hey, I wasn't _that_ bad," Spike said defensively. "I didn't keep a shrine in the library basement with Rarity's picture on the top of it – how would I explain such a thing to Twilight when she went down there?"

Fluttershy giggled again, visibly glad to have something else to think about. "I suppose," she conceded. "But you still didn't stop talking about her like Trixie did with Twilight."

"Yeah, I know. But like you said, that was ages ago now. I've stopped trying to win her over ever since she announced her engagement with Hugo." His look shifted suddenly once more, and then he looked behind them at Trixie again. "Why do you think Trixie wouldn't stop talking about her? I thought she hated Twilight for humiliating her."

Fluttershy glanced back as well, and smiled knowingly. "Oh, I think there is a reason, the only reason I can think of at the top of my head." She raised her eyebrows suggestively, prompting Spike to look between her and Trixie rapidly as the wheels in his head turned.

It didn't take much longer, as Fluttershy theorised, for him to get what she might be going on about. "She likes _Twilight_?" he exclaimed, pointing a finger in the unicorn's direction.

Fluttershy shrugged as they continued walking. "Maybe, or maybe not, but I would be surprised if that wasn't the case."

Spike rapidly shook his head as though he was ridding himself of vile images. "Oh no, that would never work out," he said. "Those two would be always bickering about magic. I can see it as though those two were right there in front of me." His eyes narrowed in disgust. "Actually, I think I can, and it won't go away."

Fluttershy giggled, and quickly spread a metallic wing in front of him. "Is that better?"

Spike let out a sigh of relief, which was muffled by Fluttershy's wing. "Much better, thank you, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy smiled as best as she could, and then looked forward once more as the rains continued to pour. Beneath them, the ground began to turn sloppy, and she could feel her hooves be consumed by the large puddles that were now beginning to form underneath her. _'But where are we?' _she wondered as her eyes wandered around her. _'Are we closer to the Everfree Forest, or are we closer to Las Pegasus?'_

They had made good progress since leaving the ruined castle behind them, and had trekked deep into the woods whilst zigzagging their way across it, staying clear from any main paths incase they were being pursued. Yet the mood between them was colder than a mid-winter's day. The only ones that had spoken in the many hours since leaving the castle were Trixie and Spike, the rest being simply too afraid or too angry to say a word to each other. And with every word left unsaid, Fluttershy's mood had only grown fouler.

She still felt mortified at the coldness of the two Princesses, and how far they were willing to go to get to Horsca. She could not understand how they could think like that, especially Cadence, who she had believed to be a demure, almost peaceful co-ruler, the one who wouldn't take up arms against anyone. _'I was wrong, so very wrong.'_ Cadence said it was the one of the worst things about being a Princess and a leader, and Fluttershy believed her. It made her feel like this task Vidarr had given her was now pointless, for it was grooming her into something that she could not, or would not, become.

'_But then again,'_ Fluttershy figured suddenly, _'you don't need to be a bloodthirsty monster to be a good leader.' _The Celestia she knew and remembered proved that by being benevolent in all her dealings, and was kind to all but a few. _'If I'm ever to be a leader, I need to take a page or two out of Celestia's book.' _So as her mind thought about the current trouble escalating across Equestria, it flicked back a few times to the history books she loved reading that detailed Celestia's reign.

"Excuse me, Miss Luna!" Trixie called, bringing Fluttershy out of her brooding. "Could you go and do something about this deluge?"

"It is raining, Miss Lulamoon, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done!" Luna snapped, looking back and shooting Trixie a coat-piercing glare that made the unicorn shrink into herself.

Fluttershy grimaced at the harsh anger in Luna's tone. "She still hasn't spoken to you since your little argument, has she?" Spike asked.

Fluttershy shook her head solemnly. "No, she hasn't. And I don't think she ever wants to."

"Well, maybe you should apologise?" Spike suggested.

Fluttershy shot her head around to face him with a questioning glare. "Apologise?" she gasped. "Why should _I_ apologise?"

"Well you did slap her across the face – hard, I might add," Spike reminded her with a raised eyebrow. "Even I felt that." He absently rubbed his cheek gently as though Fluttershy had slapped him there.

Fluttershy raised a hoof and opened her mouth to make a point, yet no words came out of her mouth. After a moment, she let out a sigh and let her head fall. "You're right, Spike. I shouldn't have done that, but I haven't felt that angry in a long time." She looked up at Spike, shame written in her eyes. "I will apologise to her for that." That shame suddenly disappeared, to be replaced by a hardened stare. "But I will not apologise for sparing that soldier's life."

"I'm not asking you to apologise for sparing that soldier's life. For what it's worth, I think you did the right thing."

Fluttershy slowly lifted her head up high, looking at him with a small smile. "You really mean that?"

Spike nodded. "Yeah. Even after what he and the rest of his squad did to me and Cadence, it still wouldn't be right if he had died down there, unarmed and afraid." The two looked forward to see Luna was glancing at them with a narrow eye. She quickly looked forward again, snorting jets of smoke from her nostrils.

"By the way, was what Luna said last night true?" Spike asked fearfully, as though he dreaded the answer. "Did you… _kill_ someone in Horsca?"

Fluttershy's eyes lowered into sadness and regret. She wished she could say 'no' and Spike would look at her as he always does: with love. But she couldn't lie to him; she couldn't lie to anypony. "Yes," she simply answered with a little nod. She shut her eyes tight and looked away as she prepared herself for the chastising words from Spike she knew that would come.

"Why?" Spike just asked, much to Fluttershy's surprise.

She hesitantly looked back around to see Spike's reaction, and grimaced when she saw it was unreadable. "I had no choice," Fluttershy whimpered, tears threatening to spill as the scene replayed once more in her mind. "My father was knocked unconscious. The reman was above him, with a sword in his paws and ready to kill him. I only wanted to push the reman out of the way and knock him out. I never wanted to kill him. I never…"

She trailed off when she heard her voice starting to crack apart. She took a deep breath to control herself. "I did it out of defence for my father, Spike. There is no other reason than that. I would understand if you think of me differently now, or if you even hate me now. Like I said before; I have done things that make me hate myself." She bowed her head and awaited Spike's damming response.

After a moment, she felt Spike place a claw under her chin, and gently lifted her head to look in her eyes. "It's okay, Fluttershy," he said finally, his expression one of sympathy rather than hatred. "I imagine anypony would have done the same thing in your hooves; I know I would have."

Fluttershy gave him a small smile. "You say that but you don't mean it."

"I do," Spike said insistently, nodding his head. "If you were in danger I wouldn't hesitate to jump in and help you."

Fluttershy's small smile widened a little. "That is so sweet, Spike, but I wouldn't want you to do that for me. I wouldn't want you to risk your own life over mine; it would be wrong of me to think you should."

Spike sighed. "Even if you thought that, Fluttershy, I would still do it. You're the only pony I can call my family in this world now. The thought of losing you… is something I don't particularly want to think of."

Fluttershy's jaw slackened a little, and tears started to form in her eyes, though they weren't tears of sadness, but of joy. She slung a foreleg around his shoulders, and nuzzled him gently, a warm smile gracing her lips. "You have a good heart, Spike. I wish I could promise you that I will stay safe, but I can't. Nearly everypony in Equestria is out for my blood and ours for what we have been accused of, and there are other creatures in Equestria that would want us all for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. This journey will be long and sometimes really hard. And…" She paused and bit her bottom lip as she tried to think of a gentler way to put what she had to say. "And there is a chance that some of us will not come out of this unscathed."

Spike looked at her as if she had just stated the obvious. "I know that, and I'm prepared for everything. Though I don't think we should worry about other ponies or monsters out to get us, but rather worry about spilling each other's blood first," he said, pointing a finger at Luna and looking at Fluttershy with a glance and a raised eyebrow.

The pegasus let out a sombre sigh and bowed her head. Fluttershy wanted to apologise to Luna for shouting at her, insulting her and slapping her – she really did. She wanted Luna and her to be friends again, for she knew they would not make it far if they bickered amongst themselves. But every time she was about to speak up and say sorry, she held back and shuddered in remembrance as she saw Luna with her sword raised high into the air, ready to kill Robyn.

What Luna was going to do to the guard pony went against everything the Dragonlord Order stood for, and what Fluttershy believed in. To kill an unarmed opponent was one of the greatest crimes a Dragonlord of the order could commit – the one worse than that was to kill, or severely harm, an innocent. Even then, what Luna was going to do went against everything Fluttershy had stood for since her birth. She was raised to cherish life and be good and kind to everyone, and never harm someone that might have harmed her, for such strength to hold back made her better.

Yet, not showing kindness to Luna went against what she had been tutored as well.

She rubbed her head with a forehoof, grimacing as she felt another headache come on. She knew Spike was right and that she had to say sorry, and hope that Luna would say sorry as well, yet right now it was difficult.

"Hush, everyone!" Luna suddenly yelled, stopping and raising a hoof up for them all to halt. Fluttershy halted immediately and felt a chill stab at her heart as the possibilities as to why Luna asked them all to stop flooded her head.

"What is it?" Cadence asked, taking a step closer and gripping her sword's hilt with her magic.

Fluttershy bent her knees and clambered quickly to where Cadence and Luna stood alongside each other, their bodies low in a fight-or-flight stance and their ears raised high. Spike crouched low and followed her, as did Trixie, who stayed too close to Spike than the little dragon possibly wanted.

Fluttershy lifted her head up, and pinned her ears up as she listened out for whatever Luna had heard. It didn't take long for her to pick out the heaving groaning of carts being moved, and the sound of pony hooves against the soft, muddy ground. "What is that?" Fluttershy wondered aloud.

Either Luna didn't hear her, or pretended not to, but she did not answer the pegasus. "Whatever that is, it's directly in front of us," Cadence said. "What do we do?"

"I say we hunker down for a bit, and wait for it to go silent. It might be a patrol of the Royal Guard looking for _us_," Luna said, glaring at Fluttershy as she said it, and making Fluttershy wince back as though she had been punched in the shoulder.

"I'm going to take a closer look," Fluttershy announced, much to everypony's horror. Before any one could pull her back she crept forward like a spider, her eyes wide and her ears pinned up high. She ignored the hushed whispers of her companions calling her back, for she was intrigued by what she was hearing. The sound coming from up ahead did not sound like a patrol to her at all; it sounded more like a funeral procession.

After a minute of wading through bushes and brushing past trees, she found herself in front of a bush that stretched out in both directions like a wall. She crept up as close as she possibly could without making too much noise, then raised her head and peered over the bush. What she saw on the other side shocked her deeply.

Below the hedgerow, wedged between a small cutting, was a road that stretched through the forest, westward towards Las Pegasus, and east towards Ponyville, or so Fluttershy assumed it was heading. And on the road, hundreds of ponies were heading east: the young, the old, the rich, the poor, earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns, it didn't matter, for all of them looked miserable. Most of them could barely pick up their hooves as they walked, kicking up dirt or tripping over into the mud; it was clear to the Dragonlord that they had been travelling for some time without stopping. She watched one old mare fall down, and prepared herself to jump forward and help. She stopped herself when she saw a younger stallion offer to help, but the old mare pushed him away violently and shouted something that Fluttershy wished were words the foul-mouthed beavers had made up.

She looked back down the road, and saw the line kept on going and going. Some ponies were pulling large carts full of valuables, while others pulled carriages with a wealthy family inside. And every so often, a single, weary looking soldier walked along the far side of the road, his eyes peering over the crowd and making sure no trouble was made.

It was a sight that filled Fluttershy with despair. She knew why all these ponies were here the moment she set eyes on them. They were now refugees. They were running from a war that they knew was going to happen, and desperately wanted to get away from it before it even begins.

Fluttershy's ears began to flicker as she picked up bits of conversations that she could hear, and each one filled her with sorrow and dread.

"Well what I heard is that Appleloosa and Dodge Junction are gone. Wiped out by Princess Celestia's forces in one night. Manehatten has gone silent, but apparently there's nothing else going on up north."

"The north is the worst, that's what I heard. The Crystal Empire is under Cadence's control and her knights are raiding towns and villages, leaving few ponies alive. The rest in-between are just butchering each other. But nothing is going on in the deserts."

"I heard somewhere ponies from Trottingham and Hoofington have come together to form an army, and are right now marching south towards Canterlot, slaughtering anypony that gets in their way."

"The ponies of Vanhoover have built a wall around their city, I heard, and are keeping ponies out who are trying to escape this madness."

"All I know is that Luna, Cadence and Fluttershy are to blame for this. I hope there's a special place in Tartarus for them when this is all over – if it ever ends."

'_Ouch,'_ Fluttershy thought, grimacing and feeling pained all over as though she had been stabbed in the gut. _'They blame me and the others for this?' _The thought made her eyes brim with tears. She had never been so hated by other ponies before. Fluttershy knew a few didn't like her, but she was all right with that for she knew you couldn't like everypony on Terra – except if you're Pinkie Pie. To be hated, however, felt far worse than any pain she had ever felt before.

Unable to bear the sight of so many miserable-looking ponies on the move, she spun around and trotted quickly back to where the others were, her head low, her eyes sullen and her ears flat and dripping with rainwater.

She found the others tucked beside a large tree, with its branches stretched and its leaves so big it protected them from the elements. "What did you see?" Cadence asked gently, visibly pleased to see her. Trixie and Spike smiled at her, but Luna didn't even look up to acknowledge her presence.

Fluttershy plonked her rump on the ground, and sighed. "A whole group of ponies from Las Pegasus fleeing east towards Ponyville," she replied sullenly.

"What?" the three ponies and one dragon gasped, looking at Fluttershy with wide eyes.

"They're all refugees fleeing into central Equestria to escape the upcoming war," Fluttershy elaborated, flicking her head back as a gesture to the fleeing ponies.

"What do you mean, 'refugees'?" Trixie asked, before taking a sandwich Cadence made and devouring it messily.

"And what war?" Luna enquired, her eyes narrow. "Is there something you should be telling us?"

Fluttershy avoided Luna's glare, and instead looked at Cadence, Trixie and Spike with a sheepish grin. "Oops. Sorry, I guess I never told you all about what Robyn told me," she said, rubbing her left foreleg sheepishly. "Well, he said that Celestia had sent out envoys to each of the separated states, and she gave them two weeks to come back to Equestria, or it will be open war between them."

The ponies and dragon visibly paled at the mention of war. "Are you certain of this?" Cadence asked, leaning forward. Luna cocked an eyebrow as though saying she didn't believe her.

'_Luna is going to make my life difficult. I just know it,' _Fluttershy thought upon seeing Luna's face. "I am certain, Cadence. And the ponies filing down the road there is enough evidence to prove it." She opened her mouth to speak once more, but quickly shut it again. She knew they would not want to know about the things that have been said about the country and about the Princesses, as well as herself.

Cadence leaned her head back, and ran a hoof through her mane. "This is ill news," she muttered to herself. She looked to Luna. "We should get out of Equestria before the war begins, surely?"

Fluttershy's eyes widened in shock. _'She intends to run away from this, without even helping? Without even _trying_ to help?' _she thought. She looked at the Crystal Princess adversely.

"We should be, considering Trixie here shows us through the Unicorn Range correctly," Luna replied, glancing at Trixie dubiously.

Trixie smiled smugly at them all. "I promise you, Trixie will get us through the Unicorn Range in less than a day," she boasted.

The others expressed their doubts evidently on their faces – all except for Fluttershy. "I know you will, Trixie," Fluttershy said, a small smile on her face. She knew one of the most important aspects of a leader is to have faith in all those she leads.

She looked outside the single patch of dry land, and saw with relief that the rain had stopped. She pricked her ears up, and listened to the sound of carts moving and ponies walking, but all she could hear was the sound of birds singing joyously to the returning sun.

"Come on, I think the ponies have moved on. Let's keep moving while the sun is out," Fluttershy said, gesturing with a hoof for them to come forward. The ponies all nodded in agreement, and together they walked towards the road in silence.

After a while of sloshing through the wet and muddy ground, taking great care not to leave any evidence of them being in the woods, they came upon the road, which was now barren of life with only the hoof-prints of the ponies that had walked along it to show they were ever there ruining the flat ground. Fluttershy jumped down from the small ridge and looked left then right. "It's all clear… I think," Fluttershy said. The three other ponies and one dragon jumped down from the ridge as well and onto the road beside, and looked around to confirm that belief.

"It looks clear to me," Trixie said. Cadence and Luna nodded in agreement.

"Then let us get away from here and back into the woods, or else we'll be open targets," Luna said. She quickly crested the other ridge and through another hedgerow onto a wide plain that stretched for about half a mile, before becoming covered by trees once more. Fluttershy and the others were soon next to her, and they began walking together once more.

"According to this map," Luna said as they walked, a large ball with a map of Equestria in it floating in front of her, "we have just officially entered Whitetail Woods. It should take us more than a day or two to go through here, and then we should be in sight of the Unicorn Range."

"And my chance to shine," Trixie muttered joyfully.

"And my chance to see the sea," Spike mumbled next to Fluttershy, earning a quiet giggle from the pegasus.

"Have a little faith in her, Spike," Fluttershy said. "We need all the faith we have in each other if we're going to get any further."

"I know," Spike sighed, "but I don't think everypony holds that view." He pointed a single finger at Luna, who was looking back at her with eyes that did not display anger or hatred, but something else.

Before Fluttershy could decipher what it was, Luna turned her head back and walked on, with Cadence just behind. Fluttershy and Spike looked at each other worryingly, before breaking into a jog to catch up with them.

"Do you think she'll talk to me at some point?" Fluttershy whispered, leaning her head close to Spike.

The little dragon threw up his arms. "I have no idea. Just give her a day or so and then try speaking to her." Fluttershy nodded in acceptance, then watched vividly a group of butterflies fly past them and onto the road.

The group went silent as they trekked deeper into Whitetail Woods.

They had walked across the great domain of Whitetail Woods for many hours before deciding to stop for the night, content in the knowledge that they might have lost their pursuers. Trixie needed it more than most; her legs were shaking with exhaustion by the time they reached their spot to camp. Though it was safe to say her condition had improved immensely since they had met her nearly a day or so ago, she still needed a bit more time before she could be considered fit and healthy again.

They all decided to rest on a small yet steep hill that overlooked the whole of Whitetail Woods. A small clearing resided on one side of the hill, giving the ponies and dragon ample space to spread out and settle for the night.

That was precisely what they all did.

Fluttershy laid down flat on her back, with her hind legs stretched out and crossed and her head lying on her forelegs, watching the stars shine in the sky and the bright moon move slowly across the sky, the light making Fluttershy's coat shine like she was a crystal pony. Her eyes were wide open with wonder, for her mind could not bring her into sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she would see her friends either yelling at her for something she did not do, or screaming at her for help. Therefore, she willed herself to stay awake, and decided to watch the night go by.

"The stars look beautiful tonight," she whispered to herself, sighing contently. Before she became a Dragonlord, she never truly appreciated the beauty of the night sky, or the calming power of the full moon, for she usually tucked herself into bed when the stars came out and the owls had gone out to look for breakfast.

Now, she wished she had stayed out for longer and admired the night more, for it was one of the most beautiful sights that graced Terra. The sky was bright with a single colour, yet there was an essence of life coming from them, as though their light shining down on them kept the planet and its inhabitants alive.

As well as the beauty the stars emitted, the sense of calm they gave to Fluttershy was overwhelming. When she looked at them, she felt a solace she could never have with her friends, both animal or pony. For here, and at times like this, the only ponies she thought, or hoped, she could talk to were her father or mother. Better yet, both of them.

"Mum? Dad?" she whispered, praying for voices she knew would never come. "I hope you can hear me, wherever you are, for I really, really need your help." After a moment, she chuckled to herself as she moved one of her forelegs out from under her head and rested it above her belly button. "I know you won't be able to truly help me, but all I ask is for your guidance. Should I continue with this task Vidarr gave me, or forget it and let Luna or somepony else with better skills than I take charge?"

There wasn't a breath of wind, or a shooting star that answered her. As far as she knew, she was alone. She sighed once more, her eyes moving across the sky for a sign or anything that could help her. _'Why am I looking at the sky for them anyway?'_ she wondered in thought. _'They might be looking from below as far as I am aware. Nopony knows truly where Paradise is.' _

But it wasn't because of the truth as to why ponies think Paradise is above them and not below; it was the ideal it presented. Fluttershy was one of those believers. She loved the idea that her father, Firewing, and her mother, Rosemary, were looking down on her, and smiling widely at their daughter, who was once a small, orphaned child, now a fully-grown mare, aged twenty-two, and the most powerful warrior on Terra. _'Still too young for what I have gone through, and what I will go through,' _she mused. As she thought that, she wondered how she would age now that she had a lifespan of about a thousand years. How long will it take her to get wrinkles and old bones and go for long naps? She shuddered at the image of herself looking like Granny Smith in about seven hundred years. _'Rarity would want to know my secret if it happens like that,' _she giggled quietly to herself. She giggled again after a pause of thought. _'She already does, silly.'_

She sighed sadly when she thought of the unicorn, and how much she missed her. She missed her company, their chats, their relaxation time, and just generally spend time together like good friends should. Though, as she thought about it more, it would be better that she was not here, for the unicorn would have never stopped whining about nature in general, and how muddy her hooves were getting. That always annoyed Fluttershy a fair bit when she and the others had gone camping in Whitetail Woods sometimes in the past two years. In fact, it always annoyed her when Rarity had a dramatic fit over the littlest thing, like the day when Twilight went mad, Rarity had forgotten the plates for their picnic, so decided to jump on a couch she had dragged all the way from her home and cry dramatically.

She quickly realised she was getting stressed again, so took a deep breath, and fixed her eyes once more on the stars, feeling the calming affect they had. At this moment, she felt at peace.

There wasn't a sound from the others around her. Trixie had fallen flat on her side, exhausted after a long day's journey. Her health was gradually improving since they had met her, having plenty to eat little and often, but she still needed to have an eye on her in case she fell behind. Spike was huddled in on himself, shaking a little from the cold night, while Cadence lay out on her left side, her mouth wide open for ants or other bugs to crawl in. Where Luna was, there was no sign, but Fluttershy knew she wouldn't be too far away. She sighed again, and a small smile crept onto her face as a shooting star raced through the sky.

Suddenly, one of her ears twitched as the sound of singing graced her ears. Confused and curious, she sat upright and flicked her ears up in the hope she could hear it clearer. Soon enough, she could hear it as though she was in the audience of a concert at the far back. "Where's that singing coming from?" she wondered aloud.

She stood up, and briskly trotted to the edge of the hill to hear better. The song being sung sounded solemn, like one would sing at a funeral, yet there was something else about the singing; it sounded too peaceful and magnificent for a pony to sing. Fluttershy's eyes widened in surprise as she figured out who the creatures singing it were.

"Whitetail Deer," she whispered in delight.

She lifted a leg up to take a step forward, but before she could set it back down, a voice behind her made her stop. "Where are you going?"

Fluttershy looked back to see Trixie with her head raised, and looking at her suspiciously. "I thought I heard something just now. I'm going to check it out," Fluttershy whispered.

Trixie began to get up as well. "Then I'm coming with you," she stated. Fluttershy opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off by Trixie sealing her mouth closed with magic. "I'm coming with you, and that's that."

After a moment, Fluttershy nodded reluctantly, allowing Trixie to break her hold on Fluttershy's mouth, and allowing the pegasus to breathe properly again. "All right, but stay quiet and stay close to me," Fluttershy ordered, before adding meekly, "if you want to, of course." With that, she began to trundle down the hillside, with Trixie close behind her.

They soon made it down the hillside, and back onto the flat plain with trees all around them, making Fluttershy feel enclosed and afraid. She looked back to see Trixie was still close to her, glancing left and right quickly and shivering. _'She's cold,'_ she thought.

Fluttershy took a step to the side, waited for Trixie to stand beside her, and then quickly draped a warm wing over the unicorn's back. Trixie stopped shivering instantly, and Fluttershy could see a faint smile on her lips. "Thanks," she quipped, looking away quickly.

Fluttershy smiled, then looked ahead and froze in shock at the scene in front of her. Trixie stopped beside her, and tilted her head at the wide-eyed face Fluttershy had. "What's gotten you so– hey!" she cried as Fluttershy took hold of her hoof and dragged her behind a large bush.

"Stay quiet, please," Fluttershy whispered. Slowly, she craned her neck to look over the bush, and her eyes widened even more at the procession before her.

Curious as to why Fluttershy was like this, Trixie peeked over as well, and when her eyes locked onto what was going on before them she gasped in astonishment. "Incredible," she whispered.

Along a small path, dozens if not hundreds of deer walked sullenly through Whitetail Woods, singing their hearts out in their ancient yet entrancing language. They were tall, just being a foot or so taller than an average pony, and all of them had a light brown coat with white spots like freckles that covered their backs and sides. Their short, stumpy tails were plain white, and seemed to shine silver in the moonlight, and their ears were long and pointy.

They were the most beautiful creatures Fluttershy had ever seen.

"Who are they?" Trixie asked, watching the deer go by with wide eyes.

"Whitetail Deer," Fluttershy answered, her eyes never leaving the seemingly sorrowful procession. "The indigenous inhabitants of these woods. They've been here for thousands of years. When Equestria was formed, and expansion began, the deer and the ponies, naturally, began to antagonise each other as the ponies inched closer to Whitetail Woods.

"Ultimately, war broke out when a few ponies cut down some of their trees, prompting the deer to drive back the invaders. They won the first war easily, by luring the Equestrian forces into the woods, and then destroying them utterly. The second war was more ferocious, and ended in a stalemate with Whitetail Woods two times smaller than they once were. When Princess Celestia and Luna came to power, they settled a peace deal with the deer, allowing them to keep the woods while Equestrian ponies settled around it. We've been at peace with them ever since."

Trixie looked at her with fascinated eyes. "Fascinating."

Fluttershy lowered her head slightly as a large buck skipped past the crowd, his large blue eyes looking for trouble. As soon as he appeared he was skipping past the procession once more, allowing Fluttershy and Trixie to breathe again. The two ponies craned their necks once more to watch the Whitetail Deer go by.

"Are all of those deer female?" Trixie asked.

"They're doe's, Trixie," Fluttershy corrected her. "And yes, mostly. There are a few bucks in the group, but they're only younglings."

"How do you know?" she asked. She looked at Fluttershy for a moment, before saying slyly, "Were you looking?"

"No!" Fluttershy whispered loudly, blushing pink while ferociously shaking her head. "I just looked at their heads and saw their antlers were growing through. A doe doesn't have any antlers, only the bucks do." She looked back at the group of deer, and felt her heart sink at the sadness of the song they were singing. "I wonder what they're singing about?"

"Probably lost their king or something," Trixie suggested. "I just don't get why they do not sing it in Terran?"

"Because it's an old song sung by our people before ponies ever came to our lands, and even before the time when the races of this world came together in harmony," an old yet powerful voice replied. Fluttershy and Trixie squeaked in fright and ducked down, hoping they wouldn't be found behind their bush. "It's quite all right, little ponies. I do not intend to harm you."

Fluttershy didn't know why, but the deer's voice was enough to make any anxiety leave her instantly. She quickly stood up, and her eyes widened in awe at the great buck.

The old buck was much taller than most deer, and had the largest antlers on his head, which revealed his age and his title as King of the Deer. His coat was far darker, and his spots a cloud grey. His long pointy face stared down at Fluttershy with a small but warming smile. At once, Fluttershy walked through the bush and out into the open, her eyes never leaving the deer's own.

"Fluttershy, come back!" Trixie whispered, reaching out with a hoof to stop her, yet Fluttershy ignored it. Her eyes were a mix of fascination and awe as she stared at the deer.

"Do not be afraid, fellow children of Terra, for if I wanted to harm you I would have done so by now," the deer said smoothly. Fluttershy's ear twitched as she heard Trixie relax as though she had been entranced, and step out from behind the bush towards the deer.

The deer's eyes moved from the unicorn to Fluttershy with the unwavering warm smile. When Fluttershy was about five feet away and was visible in the moonlight, his smile vanished and he looked at her in awe.

Fluttershy quickly bowed her head to the buck. "Um… h-hello," she said hesitantly, feeling unsure of how to begin this once in a lifetime encounter. "I suppose I should say thank you for this. It's a real honour to be talking to a deer of Whitetail Woods." She glanced to her right and saw Trixie standing next to her, studying the deer in awe.

The buck bowed his head lowly. "The honour is mine this very night, Dragonlord."

Fluttershy's eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly as she stepped back in shock, while Trixie shot her head around to look at her in surprise. "You know what I am?"

The buck nodded. "Only one of the great warrior's of Terra could survive such a terrific wound such as yours on your back," he said, pointing to the long scar that ran down Fluttershy's back. "The Dragonlords are revered greatly by our people, for we would have been destroyed by Equestrian expansion long ago had they not intervened and saved us – saved _both_ of us – from further war." He looked back at his people heading north, and sighed sadly. "It is a shame they cannot help us here."

"Help you?" Fluttershy asked confusedly. "Um, if you don't mind answering me, of course, but where are you all going? And why do you feel like you need help?"

The buck looked back at her with sullen eyes. "We are retreating deeper into the woods, young one, to shelter ourselves from the enclosing darkness that threatens this world."

Fluttershy felt cold all of a sudden. "Darkness? What darkness? Is it the war threatening to tear Equestria apart?"

The buck shook his head mournfully. "No, my dear, I'm afraid not. It is far worse than that. An ancient evil has risen once more, and behind it, a great and terrible army flocks together like carrion birds. Together, they will ravage this world and create a new order – one that will dominate _all_."

Fluttershy looked down at her coat and saw that it was a far paler shade of yellow than usual. She glanced over to see Trixie fared no better. "How do you know all this?" Fluttershy asked, looking up once more whilst shaking in fright.

"We have foreseen it: in the stars, the clouds, the world itself, we have seen this terrible future; one that no one could stand against. That is why we are fleeing, to hide and pray that this evil will pass us by. If you two have any sense of survival, you will do the same." With his words of doom spread, the buck turned away from them and began to follow the other deer into the woods. "I wish you both the best of luck in the dark days to come – you will need it." That said, he skipped after the other deer, who were now out of sight yet their song sounded as loud as it had been before.

Fluttershy and Trixie watched them disappear with wide eyes, while Fluttershy's mind filled with both wonder and dread. _'What did he mean, 'a great evil has risen once more'? 'An order that will dominate all'?' _She hated it when somepony spoke in riddles, for she was not the best pony to answer them. She cleared it to the back of her mind. _'It doesn't matter now. What does matter now is that I am right. If the deer are running away from something terrible, then surely this terrible thing must be behind the chaos that is strangling Equestria.'_

Yet, even with this new piece of information, she figured it still wouldn't be enough to convince Luna, Cadence and Spike. They could see it as the deer having had a few too many mushrooms, and had only hallucinated something that they thought was the end of the world. _'Besides, the deer probably would not know of Equestria's troubles.' _

She shook the thoughts to the back of her mind, and began to trot back to their camp. She didn't make it far when she felt a hoof touch her shoulder, and make her spin around to face Trixie, who looked at her in awe. "You're a _Dragonlord_!" Trixie exclaimed, looking all over her as though she didn't believe it. "An actual living, breathing, fighting Dragonlord?"

Fluttershy's eyes widened and her mouth opened in surprise. "Y-y-you know about my order?" she asked.

Trixie nodded, her eyes turning from surprise to utter delight. "Why, of course I do. I wouldn't have said otherwise!" she shouted.

Fluttershy shook her head disbelievingly, her eyes locked into Trixie's own for any trace of a lie. She found none, and previously considered the truth impossible. "How? The Dragonlords never kept records of themselves and what they did. Believe me, me and my old friends checked."

"Ah, yes they tried, but a few things slipped past even their eyes and made it into the history books. Clearly they never counted on Trixie, and her amazing Dragonlord finding skills!" Trixie proclaimed, rearing up and throwing her hooves wide into the air to make a dramatic pose. She quickly fell back onto her forelegs, unable to stay rearing up for too long.

Fluttershy blinked several times. "Okay," she said as she turned around. She continued trotting back up the hill to their camp.

Trixie galloped after her, and slowed down when she was alongside the Dragonlord. "When I was a little Trixie, my mother and father would always tell me bedtime stories on a whole range of subjects. One story in particular I will always remember was one about a pony who wanted to be greater, and met a group of ponies named Dragonlords. They told him that he was great to begin with, so he went home and became a great pony. The story is better than I make it sound, I promise you. Do you remember your parents telling you about it?"

Fluttershy stopped suddenly, and then turned to face Trixie with sorrowful eyes. "I wasn't as lucky as you, Trixie. I grew up with no parents, no family to call my own; only the other fillies and colts at the orphanage I lived in for most of my life." She continued to trot, while Trixie watched her go with regretful eyes.

"I'm… I'm… I'm sorry," she said eventually, making it sound like she had never said an apology before. She raced after Fluttershy once more. "I didn't mean to cause any offence."

'_Spike's right, it is weird to hear Trixie being so nice,' _Fluttershy mused. She looked back at Trixie with a small smile. "It's all right, Trixie. You did not know about me being an orphan; you don't know anything about me. So there's no need to be so hard on yourself." The two ponies soon made it to the top of the hill, and had a quick look around.

Cadence had rolled over onto her other side, and Fluttershy could see a small puddle of drool leaving her slightly open mouth. Fluttershy quickly looked away to see Spike, and tilted her head and smiled sweetly when she saw him hugging a small branch he had found that resembled a small teddy bear. Luna was still unseen, but again, Fluttershy knew she wouldn't be too far away. _'She's probably watching the deer procession,' _she thought.

The two ponies moved to a small corner far from the two sleeping bodies as possible, then settled down onto their stomachs. "So tell me, if you don't mind, how did you find out the Dragonlords were real?" Fluttershy enquired, looking at the unicorn with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't. Not for a long time," Trixie replied, shrugging. "But it wasn't until history class in primary school that I discovered they were real. I was looking through one of the history books for the older years, because I was so good in history that little children's history books could no longer suit me, when I noticed a small sentence referring to the Dragonlords just before Celestia and Luna's rebellion.

"Stunned, I decided to look through nearly every history book on Equestrian warfare that ever existed, just to find out more about this incredible order of ponies that dedicated their lives to creating peace." She paused to let out a sigh. "They became something special to me, Fluttershy. The more I learnt about them, the more I inspired to be like them. Not killing anything, of course, I could never be like that, but the way they strutted about as though they owned the planet, and how they were so great and powerful, they just… I realised that was how I wanted to live; be great and powerful."

Fluttershy felt a small smile crawl across her face as the pieces came together in her head. "So you wanted to be a Dragonlord, yet you couldn't truly be one, so decided to aspire towards them, right down to their arrogance?" Fluttershy concluded.

Trixie nodded, scraping a hoof across the ground. "Yes. Is it wrong to aspire to something greater?" she asked with an accusing look.

Fluttershy threw her hooves up as though she had been caught stealing. "Oh no, there's nothing wrong with that at all! I just feel that the Dragonlords are not exactly the right role models to follow, since I'm one myself," she said.

"Then surely you know how great they are, and what they have done for this world," Trixie said.

Fluttershy nodded sullenly. "Oh yes, I know what they have done, and I know what they _shouldn't_ have done. Last year I went to Las Pegasus to my father's old house, and found a small book documenting one of my ancestor's defence of the city of Liberum. It detailed several other things as well, but it mostly told about how he, a small group of Dragonlords and a whole army of Liberum ponies were able to hold back and defeat a far larger army of Equestrians under King Tyran."

Trixie's eyes widened in interest. "The Dragonlords at Liberum were led by one of _your_ ancestors?" Trixie asked. Fluttershy nodded, and watched as a wide grin spread across the unicorn's face. "One of my ancestors fought at that city as well. She fought as one of the archers against the Equestrians, and was there at the end of the war in Canterlot when King Pacificus took over and deemed that all ponies be equal by ridding us of clothes."

Fluttershy smiled as well. "Really? Wow, imagine that. I wonder if our two ancestors ever spoke to one another?"

"Better than that, I wonder if they were ever friends?" Trixie giggled at the impossibility. "No, my ancestor was a bit too low born for somepony as high and mighty as a Dragonlord."

Fluttershy's smile disappeared, and she shook her head. "The Dragonlords might have been arrogant in their abilities to fight, but they were never too high and mighty for anyone. They always considered everypony equal to them, not in battle prowess, but in heart and mind. They helped anyone that needed it because they could help. Yet most of the time they did it through violence, and killing others to advance their goals and that of others."

Trixie suddenly looked confused. "Forgive me, but you make it sound like they're not around anymore."

Fluttershy looked back up at Trixie with a solemn expression. "That's because they aren't around anymore, Trixie. I'm the last of the Dragonlords."

Trixie's jaw dropped and her eyes widened in shock. "How? How can the Dragonlords be gone? They were considered invincible in the small amount of text I found out about them."

Fluttershy shook her head once more. "When I found my father again, he told me that nopony is invincible, not even the Dragonlords. Unfortunately, the Dragonlords considered themselves invincible, and were destroyed in a long and terrible war against the very creature they were supposed to destroy at their beginning."

Trixie visibly slumped. "That's horrible," she said. "To be around for thousands of years, only to be wiped from the face of the earth. And in our time, too." Trixie made a pondering face as a silence grew between them. "If I may ask, what was it like? Becoming a Dragonlord, I mean."

Fluttershy looked up from the ground, and had to fight back the terrible memories of how she became one in the first place. "Horrible," she simply answered. "The worst experience of my life."

"Oh, it can't have been that bad. A few changes to your body here and there, and that's it, done."

Fluttershy's face darkened to a more serious look, and the tone of her voice became grim and heavy. "Imagine standing in the middle of a large bonfire. You aren't bound in place, but you just cannot move as the flames wrap around you. You can't scream as your coat and skin is ripped off you like teeth are tearing it off piece by piece. You feel your insides start to burn and your mane, tail and your skin are torn from you, and all the while you are still alive, and in constant agony. Just when you think it can't get any worse, your mind goes blank, and you're dead." She sighed and looked down at the ground. "That's what becoming a Dragonlord is like, Trixie. You feel what it is like to die, and then rise from the ashes like a phoenix and be reborn once more as someone new, someone different, and someone colder. I'm not the pony I once was."

She looked up to see Trixie staring at her with horrified eyes. The look of horror gave way to regret. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy," she said, rubbing her left foreleg. "I didn't mean to bring back horrible memories for you."

Fluttershy smiled affectionately at Trixie. "It's all right, Trixie, I know you didn't. Now you know what it's like, please don't step into any fires intentionally. You might not rise up again like I did."

Trixie nodded. "I won't." She looked back at the two sleeping forms behind her. "Are you going to tell them what that deer told us tonight?" she asked.

Fluttershy shook her head while shifting her body about a bit. "I might do if I had a bigger chance of them believing me, but right now, no."

"But why not? Surely that would be enough to convince them that you're right."

Fluttershy looked up at Trixie, her eyes wide and hopeful. "You mean you believe me?"

Trixie nodded. "You seem so certain that something is wrong with Equestria, and only an idiot cannot see that it is the work of something else. If you want it, I will help you, Fluttershy, in any way that I can."

Fluttershy grinned and squealed quietly with delight. "Oh, thank you, Trixie!" she leapt forward and wrapped her hooves around the unicorn's neck. "You're a good friend."

Trixie looked stunned. "We're friends?" she asked as Fluttershy set herself back down.

Fluttershy nodded. "Why, of course we are. Although my first impressions of you were less than high, now I see you away from the stage you seem like quite a nice enough pony." Fluttershy suddenly shied away. "You… you can say I'm a friend too, right?"

Trixie broke out of her daze, and put on a faint, nervous smile. "I would like that. It's just that I have never had any friends before. I've never been really good at making any."

'_Why doesn't that surprise me?'_ Fluttershy wondered. She smiled warmly. "You're not as different to Twilight in that regard. She was never good at making friends, much like me, really."

Trixie's eyes grew curious at the mention of Twilight. "Do you think Twilight Sparkle would want to talk to me again? I would like it if we started from scratch. Get to know each other better, you know."

'_Oh, I bet you do,'_ Fluttershy said in thought, giggling inwardly. "I think so. We just got to find something that could help her get better first." She suddenly let out a yawn, making her blush. "Oh dear, pardon me. Right, if you'll excuse me, I would like to go to sleep." She rolled onto her side, and let out a sigh as she got comfortable.

Trixie nodded in agreement, then fell over herself and relaxed. "What do you think is going to happen tomorrow?" Trixie asked.

Fluttershy shrugged. "I'm not sure, but hopefully nothing bad. Goodnight, Trixie."

"Goodnight, Fluttershy." With that, Trixie closed her eyes, and fell asleep almost instantly. It didn't take Fluttershy much longer to fall asleep as well, her dreams invaded with the screaming and yelling faces of her friends.


End file.
